The Beijing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology has announced its plans to add Houhai, Nanluoguxiang and Shicha Lake to the list of prominent areas in the city to offer free WiFi access by the end of the year.

The city's public WiFi network is currently being tested in Wangfujing, Xidan, Olympic Park, Chaoyang Park, Solana, Sanlitun, Zhongguancun, Financial Street, Beijing Train Stations, under the network name "My Beijing".

The massive public project has not been without its share of problems however, with users reporting weak or dropped signals, limited coverage and slow download/upload speeds. The authorities have promised to keep working to improve these problems, noting that the WiFi network is still in its "trial phase".

To access the free public WiFi, head to one of these areas, connect to the "My Beijing" network and input your cell phone number on the webpage that pops up. You will then receive a text message with a password, which you input on the webpage, after which you can freely browse the web. Passwords are valid for three hours.