[wsfii-discuss] It is treating Wi-Fi as communal property when it is not.....

Tue Feb 7 10:09:47 UTC 2006

"It is treating Wi-Fi as communal property when it is not....."

from Reuters yesterday (and also /.)

More from our favorite search company.....

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/NewsArticle.aspx? 
type=businessNews&storyID=uri: 
2006-02-05T215326Z_01_N05128749_RTRUKOC_0_UK-TELECOMS- 
FON.xml&pageNumber=1&summit

"Internet subscribers who install Fon software to make their wireless  
routers able to share bandwidth with other Fon users are then allowed  
to freely roam the Fon network around town or world-wide and find  
wireless connections as they go.

Wi-Fi was first popularised by grass-roots technology advocates in  
high-tech centres around the world, who sought to create shared  
neighbourhood networks. It is this grass-roots spirit that Fon seeks  
to tap.

"That's a great idea, but you are breaking the law," Ovum's Entner  
said flatly. "It is treating Wi-Fi as communal property when it is not."

While sharing Wi-Fi connections remains commonplace among consumers,  
the situation exists because ISPs have, by and large, been reluctant  
to enforce their user agreements banning this."

I would like to see us who hack free infrastructure and communicate  
the methods to others continue to support the goals of communal  
communications infrastructure and beat down the corporatisation of  
our commons.

Go Freifunk! Go WSFII!

Rob Dyke

Comwifinet Limited
87 Salusbury Road, London, NW6 6NH
visit www.comwifinet.com
or call the office on +44 (0) 207 604 3717