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

Fine vs profit?

[rossz]

If the fine isn't substantially more than the profit they made from blocking wifi, there is no incentive to stop the practice. The fine will be just another cost of doing business.

Re:Fine vs profit?

[itzdandy]

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.

$750K only?

[Virtucon]

Seems the fine doesn't fit the crime.

A corporation in jail - that's not gonna happen

[Overzeetop]

The day I see a corporation behind bars is the day they'll start to listen. Now, if you were to "jail" them by requiring a halt of all stock trades, impound all assets, suspend all business operations, and revoke the corporate status and protection for all holdings and subsidiaries for the length of the jail term. That would get people's attention.

Re:Could be argued differently...

[careysub]

The argument can be raised that it is their hotel, and their rules.

If I went to a pub and brought my own booze, I'd be tossed out. Same rule can be argued to apply with Wi-Fi.

Only if you had absolutely no idea what you were talking about. Wireless transmissions take place on publicly owned airwaves. Jamming these airwaves is theft of publicly owned bandwidth.