Madrid has started a project, in collaboration with Grupo Gowex and called "Quioscos WiFi en Madrid", to install free wi-fi hotspots in the newspaper kiosks
("kioscos de prensa") dotted about the city. These free wi-fi connections are currently available in more than 120 kiosks, with a totally free connection fee until the end of 2009.
Starting from 1st January 2010, only the first 30 minutes are free - but that's enough to get your email, right? - after which, there will be a connection fee (tariffs published in Spanish here)
In
order to connect to this kiosk hotspots, you first need to find one
showing the "Pulgar Wifi" logo (see right). You then know that you are
within range of one of these wi-fi areas and you will be able to
connect. Activate your wi-fi device and look for a hotspot named ""Quioscos
WiFi Madrid", and you should be able to connect and register.
Apart from this project, there are many other hotspots you can connect to in the city, indicated in the map below:
This map of Madrid's free wi-fi hotspots was created by
InTheSity (also
available on MadridMeMata)
and shows all known wi-fi points with free Internet access in Madrid.
These access points are owned in some cases by large department stores such as
El Corte Inglés, by hotels such as the HighTech chain of hotels, by cafeterias
and shops or by individuals.
In some cases, the access point is provided by the local authorities, as in the
case of the Plaza de Santo Domingo.
If the origin of the free wi-fi access is unknown, it is likely that these
access points are owned by individuals who haven't yet configured an access key.
In these cases we recommend you do not connect to these points of
uncertain origin since you may be unwittingly using somebody else's connection
without permission.
Please just click any of the points for more information on each one, or zoom in
using the controls on the map itself.
If you know of any other free wi-fi hotspots in Madrid, or if any of the
hotspots on the map is incorrect, please
let us know and we will inform
the map creators to update the information.
