FCC: Blocking Wi-Fi in hotels is prohibited

[ZLoth]

From ARS Technica:

FCC: Blocking Wi-Fi in hotels is prohibited
Marriott asked the FCC to please let it block Wi-Fi. The hotel gets a firm answer.

On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission issued an "Enforcement Advisory"  stating that blocking Wi-Fi in hotels is unequivocally "prohibited."

"Persons or businesses causing intentional interference to Wi-Fi hotspots are subject to enforcement action,"  the FCC bluntly stated, referencing a dispute between Marriott and its customers who said the hotel chain had blocked their personal hotspots to force them to pay for Marriott's Wi-Fi services.

"The Enforcement Bureau has seen a disturbing trend in which hotels and other commercial establishments block wireless consumers from using their own personal Wi-Fi hot spots on the commercial establishment's premises,"  the FCC wrote. "As a result, the Bureau is protecting consumers by aggressively investigating and acting against such unlawful intentional interference."

FULL ARTICLE HERE

This is in line with the no jammers allowed stance by the FCC.

[yanksfan6129]

Good.

[NE2]

Thanks, Obama!

[hbelkins]

It still amazes me that the cheap Econo Lodges and Super 8s of the world have free wi-fi, but the high end places want to charge you $10 a day.

[Pete from Boston]

It still amazes me that the cheap Econo Lodges and Super 8s of the world have free wi-fi, but the high end places want to charge you $10 a day.

Business travelers with expense accounts don't stay at Econo Lodge.  Their market won't bear the charge; Marriott's will.

[hbelkins]

Some of us aren't reimbursed for wifi if we pay for it when we travel for business purposes.

[jeffandnicole]

I use a Hilton branded Credit Card.  When you spend enough on it during the year, you get upgraded to the level of the hotel's rewards program where you get free wifi. 

Bigger bonus: Free breakfast too.  And if you're at a hotel that charges for wifi, chances are they charge for breakfast as well. 

Even bigger bonus: Often those hotels cater to business travelers.  On the weekends, they tend to have great, discount rates, often close to or cheaper than what the low-to-moderate hotels charge, which tend to cater to the leisure, weekend traveler.

[ARMOURERERIC]

There goes the new Hilton near Petco Park, $20/day for wifi access.