Marriott Decides Against Jamming Personal Wi-Fi Devices

[[Coi] Mr.CLuBBeR]

The Marriott hotel chain issued a statement saying it has decided not to block guests from using their personal Wi-Fi hotspots at any of its locations. It's a decision that comes three months after the chain was fined $600,000 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for jamming personal Wi-Fi networks at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, which Marriott manages, while at the same time charging travelers and exhibitors as much as $1,000 per device to access its own Wi-Fi network.
"Marriott International listens to its customers, and we will not block guests from using their personal Wi-Fi devices at any of our managed hotels," the hotel chain said in a statement. "Marriott remains committed to protecting the security of Wi-Fi access in meeting and conference areas at our hotels. We will continue to look to the FCC to clarify appropriate security measures network operators can take to protect customer data, and will continue to work with the industry and others to find appropriate market solutions that do not involve the blocking of Wi-Fi devices."
Prior to the fine and subsequent reversal of policy, Marriott argued that blocking personal Wi-Fi hotspots was in the best interest of its customers over security concerns. In a statement provided to CNet, Marriott said the ban was intended to protect visitors "from rogue wireless hotspots that can cause degraded service, insidious cyberattacks, and identify theft."
Marriott's stance didn't fly with guests, some of which have accused the hotel chain of simply wanting to protect itself from lost revenue that it generates from its wireless network.
Image Credit: Flickr (Mike Mozart)
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