More clarity needed over WiFi legislation

In a recently released report one industry official has said that more clarity is needed over legislation relating to the sharing of wireless broadband connections.

According to a recent report one industry official has highlighted the need for more clarity with regards to current WiFi legislation, stating that without this improved clarity attempts to increase broadband access could be hampered. He said that current laws in place to try and tackle illegal use of WiFi connections are actually going to prove restrictive to the broadband industry unless they are made clearer.

The claims were made by Daithí Mac Síthigh, who is a lecturer in IT and internet law at the University of East Anglia. He said that at present the laws in place in relation to illegal sharing of wireless connections may not be the most appropriate ones in terms of allowing for wide access to broadband to be put into place.

He said that if the laws relating to illegal wireless connection sharing were not made clearer it could end up discouraging people from using wireless services, and could also affect the use of wireless connections within communities.

Sithigh added: “Digital inclusion is a government policy and rightly so. People may not have broadband in every road, particularly in rural or isolated areas, and costs of a good connection remain high, so sharing internet access is recognised as a great way of filling in the gaps. Shared internet access has potential social benefits, but it’s harder to encourage people to take part if the legalities are unclear. Furthermore, local communities trying to use wireless access to extend connectivity have faced objections from established industries that this is anti-competitive or a breach of contract. If the legal environment was more favourable to sharing it would play an important part in achieving the Digital Britain aim of inclusion and social goals of increased access.”

Source – My City Talk