Quick, to the neighbors!

Cable firms cracking down on Wi-Fi

Broadband providers are cracking down on popular Wi-Fi networks, threatening to cut service to customers who set up the inexpensive wireless systems and allow others to freely tap into their Internet access. Time Warner Cable of New York City has given 10 customers less than a week to stop using their accounts to provide a wireless local area network available to anyone within 300 feet. The letters are just an initial volley; Time Warner expects to send additional letters, while AT&T Broadband also is preparing similar letters for some of its customers.

The crackdown is reminiscent of the cable industry’s attempts to target cable thieves in the 1980s, and it reflects the soaring popularity of wireless Net access. After being introduced just a couple years ago, so-called Wi-Fi "hot spots" that tap into cable or digital subscriber lines (DSL) are now in at least 15 million homes and offices.

Oh, this is annoying for the simple fact that I can see both sides.

First, though, I don't think the comparison to early "cable thieves" is valid, as cable companies had to pay licensing fees to content providers (i.e., movie studios and the like) for showing their product. So, someone who tapped into the system for free was not paying for right to see a given show and/or movie.

I subscribe to AT&T Broadband (joined when it was still Comcast @ Home). I'd have to dig out my original agreement, but I don't think it mentions "bandwidth reselling." In any event, I have three computers that tie into that connection via a router that handles IP addressse. Thus, my single connection splits into three. When AT&T took over, they made it clear (to me, at least) that doing this wasn't a problem, that my internal network was my concern.

They also made clear that they were doing "load balancing" by throttling back the maximum connection speed I could expect. Whereas before I might see a theoretical maximum of 3MBps, they were cutting that back to 1.5MBps. It didn't matter how many people were on my side of the pipe, that's all I was getting.

So if I have 50 people working on that 1.5MBit pipe, the only people impact are those 50 people. I'm not adding to the drain on the AT&T system as a whole. And, as a customer, I'm paying for that 1.5MBit pipeline.

Now, my friend is getting ready to go WiFi within his house. And I'm thinking of adding that to my existing system (one access point, coming up). Will we both be breaking some law, rule, regulation? If AT&T (and others) makes it a policy that their customers can't use a local WiFi network, doesn't this boil down to an attempt to stifle a growing industry?

Fun, eh.