Post by Admin on Oct 3, 2014 11:55:49 GMT -9
Marriott Slapped with $600k Penalty by FCC for Jamming Mobile Hotspots
Brandon Hill (Blog) - October 3, 2014 2:16 PM
Marriott blocked Wi-Fi signals so that it could sell it own internet services to hotel guests
Hotel Wi-Fi can really be hit or miss when you’re traveling around the United States. For the hotels that offer free Wi-Fi, it’s often slow as molasses. Other motels make you pay for Wi-Fi separately or bundle it with a bunch of other amenities in a daily “Resort Fee.” The paid Wi-Fi tends to be a little bit faster than the free options, but even they can get bogged down from time to time.
With most smartphone plans today offering free tethering options — and with the rise of mobile 4G hotspots — frequent travelers have an alternate route to avoid slow or paid Wi-Fi in hotels. However, Marriott’s Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee went out its way to make sure that its guests couldn’t take advantage of their personal mobile hotspots.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received a complaint that this particular Marriott location was blocking Wi-Fi signals in conference rooms. Once guests would complain to the hotel about the lack of Wi-Fi reception, they would be offered optional high-speed internet services (both wired and wireless) at a cost of $250 to $1,000.
The FCC conducted a further investigation into that matter and confirmed that the hotel was in fact using jamming equipment so that it could upsell hotel guests. However, this practice is a big no-no, as blocking Wi-Fi signals violates Section 333 of the Communications Act.
As a result of the FCC’s investigation, Marriott has agreed to pay $600,000 to settle the matter.
“It is unacceptable for any hotel to intentionally disable personal hotspots while also charging consumers and small businesses high fees to use the hotel’s own Wi-Fi network,” said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc. “This practice puts consumers in the untenable position of either paying twice for the same service or forgoing Internet access altogether.”
Although only one of Marriott’s 4,000 managed and franchises properties worldwide was busted by the FCC, as a part of the settlement, the company has to ensure that safeguards are in place at all locations to prevent incidents like this from happening again.
Sources: FCC [PDF], via Deadline
The use of Wi-Fi jammers is ILLEGAL. A $600,000 fine is great but not anywhere near enough.
Their fine should be based on how much they earned selling WiFi over the past 5 years. 400% fine for every dollar earned. If they sold $1 million in WiFi over that period the fine should be $4 million.
If Marriott can't afford that fine or wishes to avoid that fine the Chief Executive Officer should face criminal charges and GO TO JAIL.
Hey, Mitt Romney said corporations are people. People go to jail when they break the law. Let Marriott choose.
Stop coddling corporations. Stop providing corporate welfare.
Brandon Hill (Blog) - October 3, 2014 2:16 PM
Marriott blocked Wi-Fi signals so that it could sell it own internet services to hotel guests
Hotel Wi-Fi can really be hit or miss when you’re traveling around the United States. For the hotels that offer free Wi-Fi, it’s often slow as molasses. Other motels make you pay for Wi-Fi separately or bundle it with a bunch of other amenities in a daily “Resort Fee.” The paid Wi-Fi tends to be a little bit faster than the free options, but even they can get bogged down from time to time.
With most smartphone plans today offering free tethering options — and with the rise of mobile 4G hotspots — frequent travelers have an alternate route to avoid slow or paid Wi-Fi in hotels. However, Marriott’s Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee went out its way to make sure that its guests couldn’t take advantage of their personal mobile hotspots.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received a complaint that this particular Marriott location was blocking Wi-Fi signals in conference rooms. Once guests would complain to the hotel about the lack of Wi-Fi reception, they would be offered optional high-speed internet services (both wired and wireless) at a cost of $250 to $1,000.
The FCC conducted a further investigation into that matter and confirmed that the hotel was in fact using jamming equipment so that it could upsell hotel guests. However, this practice is a big no-no, as blocking Wi-Fi signals violates Section 333 of the Communications Act.
As a result of the FCC’s investigation, Marriott has agreed to pay $600,000 to settle the matter.
“It is unacceptable for any hotel to intentionally disable personal hotspots while also charging consumers and small businesses high fees to use the hotel’s own Wi-Fi network,” said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc. “This practice puts consumers in the untenable position of either paying twice for the same service or forgoing Internet access altogether.”
Although only one of Marriott’s 4,000 managed and franchises properties worldwide was busted by the FCC, as a part of the settlement, the company has to ensure that safeguards are in place at all locations to prevent incidents like this from happening again.
Sources: FCC [PDF], via Deadline
The use of Wi-Fi jammers is ILLEGAL. A $600,000 fine is great but not anywhere near enough.
Their fine should be based on how much they earned selling WiFi over the past 5 years. 400% fine for every dollar earned. If they sold $1 million in WiFi over that period the fine should be $4 million.
If Marriott can't afford that fine or wishes to avoid that fine the Chief Executive Officer should face criminal charges and GO TO JAIL.
Hey, Mitt Romney said corporations are people. People go to jail when they break the law. Let Marriott choose.
Stop coddling corporations. Stop providing corporate welfare.