FCC Fines Smart City $750K For Blocking Wi-Fi

schwit1 writes: FCC's Enforcement Bureau today announced a $750,000 settlement with Smart City Holdings, LLC for blocking consumers' Wi-Fi at various convention centers around the United States. Smart City, an Internet and telecommunications provider for conventions, meeting centers, and hotels, had been blocking personal mobile 'hotspots' that were being used by convention visitors and exhibitors who used their own data plans rather than paying Smart City substantial fees to use the company's Wi-Fi service.

Comments

Re:Did they make more than $750K profit by blockin

[FranTaylor]

RTFA:

"As part of the settlement, Smart City will cease its Wi-Fi blocking activities"

They signed a court order, if they keep doing it, it's contempt of court this time.

Re:Fine vs profit?

[FranTaylor]

the first fine is a slap on the wrist, but if they continue the next fine will be substantially larger, order of magnitude larger. The FCC might only slap on the wrist for 1st offense, but they get real serious when people don't follow their direct orders.

they signed a settlement agreement in the court room, so further infractions are really "contempt of court" with immediate jail for the offenders

Re:I wonder how they're jamming?

[ColdWetDog]

If you read the ARS article on this, you would see that:

"In responses to FCC investigators, Smart City later revealed it "automatically transmitted deauthentication frames to prevent Wi-Fi users whose devices produced a received signal strength above a present power level at Smart City access points from establishing or maintaining a Wi-Fi network independent of Smart City's network," according to a consent decree filed in the case."