FCC Nixes Airport's Ban On Private Net Access

Several readers wrote to let us know about a ruling by the US Federal Communications Commission forbidding Boston's Logan Airport from shutting down airline-supplied Internet access services that compete with the airport's own, for-pay wireless coverage. From the article: "A two-year effort by Logan International Airport officials to shut down private alternatives to the airport's $8-a-day wireless Internet service was decisively rejected yesterday by federal regulators, who blasted airport officials for raising bogus legal and technological arguments."

Comments

I'm glad.... I think....

[StewedSquirrel]

Well, on the surface this sounds like a great thing. After all, competition is good, right?

Sure!

But then again, isn't this just another case of the FCC being in way too deep with its sticky little tenticles all over things it has no place touching? What right would the FCC have in the first place to shut down publically accessable wireless traffic using approved media? If it's not an FAA issue with ATC communications, and they're using publically available hardware on publically available frequencies, what say AT ALL does the FCC have in who operates networks where and who can decide what is done with their own private property.

Yes, the airport is public property, but not really. It is owned, in the same way a Starbucs is property, and if Starbucs told you do get lost, you would damn well have to do it. If they said "you can't bring that in here", you have to comply or you have to leave.

So again, why is the FCC even remotely involved with this? Again, I'm glad they're NO LONGER involved with this, but... seriously, someone needs to go in and give the smackdown and tell them to GET YOUR STINKING FINGERS OUT OF EVERYTHING!!! haha

Right.

Pfft.

Stew