Australia’s capital city is home to around 400,000 people, about as many roundabouts, and started life as a sheep station. Seriously though, we love Canberra. It’s got everything a city needs at a relaxed pace, a great night life, and a cultural scene to rival Melbourne. It’s a great place to spend some time, as long as you’re happy not living by the beach (Cotter Dam is a great swimming hole though).

As a tourist or local, free wifi access is super useful. Aussie data plans are only just starting to be generous with their allowances, so getting free internet is still valuable. Luckily, the Canberra free wifi landscape is pretty strong, and the city is only getting more connected.

Thanks to the ACT Government and local business owners, it’s not hard to find free wifi in Canberra these days. Whether you’re travelling and need to organise flights, working remotely, or want to waste some time on social media, read on for our ultimate guide to free wifi in Canberra.

CBRfree public wifi

The ACT government has committed to making Canberra a connected digital city by providing free wifi in many of its public spaces. CBRfree public WiFi provides access to the internet in a range of Canberra’s outdoor areas and town centres, and not just in the CBD (known locally as Civic – long story).

This public free wifi can be accessed from the town centres of Belconnen, Dickson, Kingston, Manuka, Weston Creek, Woden, and Tuggeranong. In the CBD you’ll have access at these locations:

Civic East: from Garema Place to the Convention Centre
Braddon: from the Convention Centre to Gorman House and up to Girrahween Street
Civic West: from Northbourne Avenue to Barry Drive, across to the ANU and around to New Acton

The data limits aren’t super high, with the network giving you up to 250Mb per day. The speed is pretty good though, so it’s a reliable option for email access or the occasional photo upload.

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Cafes with wifi access

Cafe wifi isn’t technically free, but if you’re a coffee drinker you’ll find internet access at some of Canberra’s privately-owned cafes. We can’t list all of Canberra’s cafes with free wifi, so your best bet is to ask when you order. Be careful not to overstay your welcome though – you don’t want to take up a table while a family waits in line at the door.

Bigger cafe chains like The Coffee Club offers free wifi access across Australia. There are 8 stores around Canberra (Belconnen, Majura, Woden Plaza and Canberra Centre, to name a few) so you shouldn’t have trouble finding one. Most other cafe chains are likely to have free wifi too.

For reliable free wifi, fast food joints like McDonalds , Hungry Jacks, and KFC all offer free internet. They make a point of being easy to find, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble.

Free wifi when you travel

If you’re travelling from interstate or overseas and need a wifi hit, you can access free wifi from Canberra Airport. Free wifi hotspots are located in the Express Pick-up waiting lounge, the International Departures lounge and An Office Fit For You in the departures lounge.

If you’re travelling to or from Canberra by coach Greyhound offer free wifi onboard. Other coach companies aren’t consistent with their offering of free wifi, but Greyhound make it a key selling point.

Free wifi at the library

The National Library has free access to computers with the internet, and there’s a free wifi network available throughout the library. You can access the internet on computers in the library’s reading rooms if you’re without a device or need a bigger screen.

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University of Canberra wifi access

Even if you’re not a student, you can access free wifi from the University of Canberra if you’re in the area. It’s not a super central campus, but if you’re passing through it’s good to know.

Wifi access is available in all buildings and some outdoor areas. To connect, choose the wifi service ‘UC-Visitor’, and register if you need to. If you’re a student, use the ‘UC-Student’ network and use your student number and password to connect.

Free wifi at popular attractions

Thanks to CBRfree public WiFi, free wifi is available at lots of community hubs and tourist attractions, including Canberra Theatre, Belconnen Arts Centre, EPIC, Tuggeranong Basketball Stadium, and the Criterion Cycling Stadium at Stromlo Forest Park.

You can also access free wifi at Parliament House. Just connect to ‘WifiParliament’ on your wifi-enabled device.

The Australian War Memorial offers visitors free wireless network access throughout the building and surrounds.

Free wifi access is also available at the National Museum of Australia. They also have free charging stations if you need a top-up.

If you’re making science fun, Questacon offers free wifi. Considering wifi is an Australian invention, it’s only fitting!

Finally, the Australian National Botanic Gardens offer a network of trees and plants, and a free wifi network too.

Free wifi while you shop

If you’re in the mood for shopping, you can find free wifi access at some of Canberra’s shopping centres.

The Canberra Centre

Connect to free wifi at The Canberra Centre in the following locations:

Food Court near City Walk
Level 1 opposite the Apple Store
Ground Floor opposite David Jones
Ground Floor near Coffee Guru
Ground Floor outside Grill’d
Level 1 outside JB Hifi

Find the ‘Canberra Centre Free Wi-Fi’ network to connect.

Westfield Woden

If you’re out beyond the reaches of the CBD, you can find free wifi at Westfield Woden. You can use up to 1GB, or 180 minutes, of free data every day by joining the wifi service when you visit the shopping centre.

To join, select ‘_WestfieldFreeWifi’ from the available wireless network collection list and select ‘connect.’ Enter your details on the welcome screen and select ‘Connect to Wifi’ to start your connection.

Westfield Belconnen

At Belco it’s the same setup as Woden. Both Westfield’s use the same registration system, so you’re 1GB or 180 minutes will count at both locations.

Canberra: Australia’s most connected country town

It might be a few hours from the coast, but Canberra is a very well connected city, with no small thanks to free wifi in Canberra that’s easy to come by. Enjoy your time in the nation’s capital, and don’t stress if you aren’t inclined to buy a local data plan while you’re there.

If you’re also keen to get around Canberra but don’t want to own a car, you should see if GoGet suits your needs. With dozens of cars across Canberra, GoGet gives you easy access to cars by the hour while you’re in the ACT. See how GoGet works here.

Free Wifi Canberra | Where to find free internet in the ACT