Google fights Marriott's plan to block Wi-Fi hotspots

[Maestro]

Google fights Marriott's plan to block Wi-Fi hotspots

By David Goldman @DavidGoldmanCNN December 25, 2014: 1:15 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Google and Microsoft have joined a growing chorus of businesses that oppose Marriott's attempt to block guests' Wi-Fi hotspots in their hotel rooms.

Marriott (MAR) and the hotel lobby American Hospitality & Lodging Association asked the FCC this summer to allow hotels to deploy equipment that prevents people from turning their phones into Wi-Fi hotspots.

In order to avoid pricey hotel Wi-Fi charges, many guests opt to use their data allotment from their cell phone provider, connecting their laptops to the Internet via their smartphones.

Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/25/technology/marriott-wifi/

-- CNN 2014-12-25

[Maestro]

My experience has been that normal hotels offer free WiFi, so-called luxury hotels, eg Royal Cliff in Pattaya, charge extra for it.

[jpinx]

They can block the hotspot maybe, but they can't stop someone connecting their mobile to their laptop with a usb cable.

[rickirs]

Marriott's attempt to block guests' Wi-Fi hotspots in their hotel rooms is purely an anti-competition action that limits a person's access to PUBLIC AIRWAVES. Hence, Mariott must get permission from the Federal Communications Commission. Mariott isn't blocking for security or safety purposes that would override restricting customer access. FCC should deny Mariott.

Getting FCC approval still will not be sufficient in any case. The Federal Trade Commission address issues of anti-competition regardless of how it's accomplished. Competition for airwave e-traffic is clearly within its authority. Given the free enterprise environment in the USA, Mariott forcibly eliminating competing wi-fi hotspots to force a customer to pay for its more expensive wi-fi will not be allowed. If Mariott wants to compete fairly, it must attract customers with cheaper/better wi-fi plans.

[whitemouse]

Marriott is hopefully going to lose this fight, and rightfully so.

Even tho the hotel is private property, the wifi is public air wave. There is no way they can have control it.

Isn't Marriott connected directly to this strange cult from Utah? My last line maybe against rules

[tw25rw]

They aren't trying to stop you accessing public 3/4G. They are trying to stop you retransmitting it in the form of a wifi hotspot. Easy to get round with a cable, but a nuisance if you have more than 1 device.

[monty1412]

Marriott is hopefully going to lose this fight, and rightfully so.

Even tho the hotel is private property, the wifi is public air wave. There is no way they can have control it.

Isn't Marriott connected directly to this strange cult from Utah? My last line maybe against rules

I don't think you are transgressing any rules on that and yes Marriott is owned/ controlled by those of the Mormon faith who are of course Salt Lake city centred. Regardless of faith / colour or creed I wish Marriott the very worst of luck in all of this..... this could be a PR disaster for them if it escalates and hopefully they will look at the poetentail of this and come to their senses and have the Tabernacle choir singing from the same hymn sheet that other companies do

[jaywalker]

My experience has been that normal hotels offer free WiFi, so-called luxury hotels, eg Royal Cliff in Pattaya, charge extra for it.

It's the ultimate of stupidity.

A $40 a night room offers free wifi. A $240 a night hotel wants to charge $20 a day for internet access.

I don't get it.

I stayed at an Atlanta Marriot last August, attending, of all things an IT convention & we had no WI-FI in the rooms, just in the conference hall.

I wish I'd stayed at the Motel 6 down the road.

[kingalfred]

Highlights what a rip-off these "brand name" hotels are. Overpriced rooms and then want to make money from simply using wifi

[thaigold]

Marriott's attempt to block guests' Wi-Fi hotspots in their hotel rooms is purely an anti-competition action that limits a person's access to PUBLIC AIRWAVES. Hence, Mariott must get permission from the Federal Communications Commission. Mariott isn't blocking for security or safety purposes that would override restricting customer access. FCC should deny Mariott.

Getting FCC approval still will not be sufficient in any case. The Federal Trade Commission address issues of anti-competition regardless of how it's accomplished. Competition for airwave e-traffic is clearly within its authority. Given the free enterprise environment in the USA, Mariott forcibly eliminating competing wi-fi hotspots to force a customer to pay for its more expensive wi-fi will not be allowed. If Mariott wants to compete fairly, it must attract customers with cheaper/better wi-fi plans.

No problem. Let Marriott proceed, then sue them in Federal Court for real and punitive damages.

[oneday]

Greedy luxury hotels...making a bad name for themselves. I certainly would not stay in any hotel that charged fees for something they should offer for free as an incentive to stay there.

I bet they wanted to block cell phone usage when those became so ubiquitous. They certainly made a mint off phone charges when people were captive audiences in that regard. This is exactly the same and hopefully sanity will prevail in governments bureaucracies.

[gandalf12]

Avoid the hotels that charge for it. Most hotels provide it free

[monkeycountry]

There is no need for any rules regarding this. More and more tourists has free wifi in the room as a deciding factor when choosing hotel, so Marriot will eventually find out that it is bad for business not to provide free wifi.

[gandalf12]

They aren't trying to stop you accessing public 3/4G. They are trying to stop you retransmitting it in the form of a wifi hotspot. Easy to get round with a cable, but a nuisance if you have more than 1 device.

In other words trying to force you to use their system at cost. How stupid of them.

[spermwhale]

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Marriott's attempt to block guests' Wi-Fi hotspots in their hotel rooms is purely an anti-competition action that limits a person's access to PUBLIC AIRWAVES. Hence, Mariott must get permission from the Federal Communications Commission. Mariott isn't blocking for security or safety purposes that would override restricting customer access. FCC should deny Mariott.

Getting FCC approval still will not be sufficient in any case. The Federal Trade Commission address issues of anti-competition regardless of how it's accomplished. Competition for airwave e-traffic is clearly within its authority. Given the free enterprise environment in the USA, Mariott forcibly eliminating competing wi-fi hotspots to force a customer to pay for its more expensive wi-fi will not be allowed. If Mariott wants to compete fairly, it must attract customers with cheaper/better wi-fi plans.

Indeed. The same goes if the hotel were to try to block people's cell phone signals so that they would be forced to use the more expensive phones in the rooms.

[maidee]

those hotels are still asking the same rate than before ADSL/VDSL/FIBRE

[26vinny]

simple to implement with cell phone/wi fi blockers for security reasons, used intermittently, they are used in casino`s church`s etc, nothing said about them

[jpduggan]

So just stay in another hotel!!!

[stoli]

Marriott is hopefully going to lose this fight, and rightfully so.

Even tho the hotel is private property, the wifi is public air wave. There is no way they can have control it.

Isn't Marriott connected directly to this strange cult from Utah? My last line maybe against rules

I am not Mormon, but I certainly would consider the Mormon religion just another religion, and certainly not a "strange cult" from Utah. And yes, the Marriott's are Mormon. IMHO, they always provide the best service of any hotel chain, even if they are trying to gouge people with their wi-fi charges. With them being Mormon, you will never see them opening a hotel in Las Vegas, as they are against gambling. Yet, they are against drinking alcohol also, and they serve that in their hotels. As with most religion's, they are driven by profit motives first. Aren't we all?

[JulesMad]

Just boycott these hotels! They are just NOT worth your money :-)

If you are still staying in these places, it just means you have too much money (to spend)

[ttthailand]

I book 50+ hotel rooms a year. If they don't offer free wifi I don't stay.

[wabothai]

Greedy arragance !!

Great advertising !!!

[Frank James]

The Mormons are indeed against gambling, and Marriott may never open a hotel in Vegas under the Marriott label, but it was Mormon banks and money that provided big seed money in the 1950's to get Las Vegas rolling. You can look it up.

[how241]

My experience has been that normal hotels offer free WiFi, so-called luxury hotels, eg Royal Cliff in Pattaya, charge extra for it.

It's the ultimate of stupidity.

A $40 a night room offers free wifi. A $240 a night hotel wants to charge $20 a day for internet access.

I don't get it.

I stayed at an Atlanta Marriot last August, attending, of all things an IT convention & we had no WI-FI in the rooms, just in the conference hall.

I wish I'd stayed at the Motel 6 down the road.

+1...Yes, that's what I found too. Cheaper places give you more for free including a small free coffee and breakfast in the lobby area.

[romeijoe]

Marriott is hopefully going to lose this fight, and rightfully so.

Even tho the hotel is private property, the wifi is public air wave. There is no way they can have control it.

Isn't Marriott connected directly to this strange cult from Utah? My last line maybe against rules

yes they are a morman run hotel chain --- i used to like staying at marriott hotels until i knew of this now dont !!

Marriott is hopefully going to lose this fight, and rightfully so.

Even tho the hotel is private property, the wifi is public air wave. There is no way they can have control it.

Isn't Marriott connected directly to this strange cult from Utah? My last line maybe against rules

yes they are a morman run hotel chain --- i used to like staying at marriott hotels until i knew of this now dont !! same as wetbix breakfast food now owned by christian group -- completely changed the taste, who knows whats in it now ?

Edited January 2, 2015 by romeijoe

[whitemouse]

Avoid the hotels that charge for it. Most hotels provide it free

Trouble is, very nice hotels always charge for their wifi, and insane amount.

Normally when I travel, and stay there around 1 week or more, I buy local 3G sim. But what do you do, if you only stay 1 night in, say, Singore Hilton on Orchard? Do you pay for 24hr access to hotel wifi, or buy a local sim for that 1 day.

At the prices 4 and 5 star hotels cost, you'd think wifi access is included, but it never is, and strangely this isn't getting better, it is almost like they have silent agreement to NOT offer free wifi.

I really hope Marriott loses this. If they win, in US court this sets a precedent, and creating wifi spots will become punishable. I think that is how it works in US justice system, yes?

[tw25rw]

Nice hotels cater largely to business people who aren't paying their own bill or luxury travellers who don't mind the expense.

Edited January 2, 2015 by tw25rw

[2fishin2]

Avoid the hotels that charge for it. Most hotels provide it free

Trouble is, very nice hotels always charge for their wifi, and insane amount.

Normally when I travel, and stay there around 1 week or more, I buy local 3G sim. But what do you do, if you only stay 1 night in, say, Singore Hilton on Orchard? Do you pay for 24hr access to hotel wifi, or buy a local sim for that 1 day.

At the prices 4 and 5 star hotels cost, you'd think wifi access is included, but it never is, and strangely this isn't getting better, it is almost like they have silent agreement to NOT offer free wifi.

I really hope Marriott loses this. If they win, in US court this sets a precedent, and creating wifi spots will become punishable. I think that is how it works in US justice system, yes?

Marriot provides free wifi for all members and most rooms except for the lowest price budget savers. For most travelers on business, internet is a reimbursable expense. Also, most hotels have free wifi in the lobbies.

[spidermike007]

I stopped staying at the accor hotels in Bangkok due to their silly policy of not providing WiFi for free. Just say no. They will eventually figure it out. It is an old school policy, practiced by industry dinosaurs.

[attento]

If people are genuinely concerned, they wont stay at Marriott Hotels. Simple.

There is no shortage of hotels, so the customer can choose.

But the reality is, too many people like to boast about how much they spend, not how little.