An new iPad owner syncs the device with his laptop computer while visiting a Starbucks Coffee location April 3, 2010 in Fort Worth, Texas.Tom Pennington—Getty Images
The Federal Communications Commission is cracking down on hotels that try to ban customers from using their personal hotspots.
The agency issued an enforcement advisory Tuesday explicitly prohibiting hotels from interfering with Wi-Fi hotspots that customers may set up using their mobile phones and data plans. The ban also extends to convention centers and other commercial establishments.
“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.”
The issue came to a head thanks to consumer complaints at a Marriott-owned hotel in Nashville, where people’s personal hotspots were being blocked in the hotel’s conference rooms. The FCC fined Marriott $600,000 for the act in October, though Marriott claimed it shut down the hotspots for security reasons. With the new decree, it seems that line of reasoning wasn’t good enough for the FCC.
The 15 Most Bizarre Moments From the Consumer Electronics Show
A brand ambassador tests Samsung's Gear VR headset at the Samsung Galaxy booth on Jan. 6, 2015.Jae C. Hong—APFrank Lee, Brand Marketing for LG Electronics MobileComm USA, demonstrates the enhanced selfie feature on the new LG G Flex 2 mobile phone on Jan. 5, 2015. Michael Nelson—EPAAttendees lay on Serta mattresses at the Serta stand on Jan. 6, 2015.Robyn Beck—AFP/Getty ImagesJoe Clayton, CEO of Dish, arrives on stage banging a bass drum followed by company mascots during the Dish news conference on Jan. 5, 2015. Rick Wilking—ReutersA transparent TRW model car is seen on Jan. 6, 2015. Yang Lei—Xinhua Press/CorbisAt the 'Unveiled-event' a young woman has a look at salad on Jan. 4, 2015. Britta Pedersen—dpa/CorbisThe drone 'Nano' from 'Zano' on Jan. 8, 2015. Britta Pedersen—dpa/CorbisAttendees interact with wity screens that run on Intel's Realsense technology on Jan. 6, 2015.Michael Nelson—EPAAn attendee wears Altspace Virtual Reality head ware on Jan. 6, 2014.Michael Nelson—EPASony Electronics President and COO Mike Fasulo displays the Sony 4K Action Cam at a press event on Jan. 5, 2015.David Becker—Getty ImagesConsumer Electronics Association President and CEO Gary Shapiro exits a Mercedes-Benz F 015 autonomous driving automobile after it was unveiled at a Mercedes-Benz press event on Jan. 5, 2015.David Becker—Getty ImagesA display shows Panasonic's virtual make-up mirror at a Panasonic news conference on Jan. 5 , 2015.Steve Marcus—ReutersSelfie sticks of the company 'Noosy' displayed on Jan. 8, 2015.Britta Pedersen—EPAWorld freediving champion Stig Severinsen holds his breathe underwater for a total of 5 minutes, 35 secs to demonstrate the functionality and accuracy of the Masimo SET pulse oximetry device on Jan. 8, 2015.Robyn Beck—AFP/Getty ImagesWorkers install an advertisement for a new S'UHD TV from Samsung Electronics on the side of the Las Vegas Convention Center on Jan. 4, 2015.Steve Marcus—Reuters
