[RTC List] Wi-fi for the masses!

[Sean McLaughlin]

Aloha RTCers -

Here's an item today from our friends at Media Access Project in DC.
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MAP Statement:

  In response to the decision of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that Logan Airport (operated by Massport) cannot prevent Continental Airlines from operating an independent "wifi" system for the benefit of Continental customers, Media Access Project Senior Vice President Harold Feld had the following statement:

 "Today's decision goes well beyond free wifi in airports.  It provides a powerful affirmation to the community wireless movement in the United States by protecting the rights of users to operate wifi access points and other unlicensed devices whether or not a landlord has an exclusive arrangement with a provider."

 "Just last week, the City of Boston moved ahead with a project to provide wireless access points in the Roxbury neighborhood.  The City is meeting with community groups to discuss how to extend this wireless access into the apartments of neighborhood residents that cannot afford cable or DSL broadband subscriptions.  Had the FCC decided for Massport, the landlords of these apartments could have blocked users from accessing the free or low-cost service the City of Boston will provide.  But because the FCC has protected the freedom of tenants to use the wireless equipment and the wireless provider of their choice, the City of Boston and community groups can continue to develop plans to bridge the digital divide with cheap, unlicensed wireless networks."

 The case is In re Continental Airlines, ET Docket No. 05-247. Media Access Project, a non-profit public interest law firm, represented the following parties in the case: Masspirg, U.S. PIRG, The New America Foundation, Champaign Urbana Wireless Network, The National Hispanic Media Coalition, Hawaii Consumers, Freenetworks.org, Acorn Active Media, Marcus Spectrum Solutions, and Free Press.

 Press Contact: Harold Feld, 202-454-5684, hfeld at mediaaccess.org 
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Sean McLaughlin
Executive Director    
Access Humboldt  
1915 J Street, Eureka, CA 95501                 
t: 707-476-1798
c: 707-616-2381          
seanm707 at yahoo.com
 
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