Fon.com
offers Wi-Fi routers for as little as €5 and encourages connection
sharing in a bid to build a Wi-Fi community, but its policies could
put users at odds with their providers.
OUT-LAW has examined the terms and conditions of the 10 biggest
UK ISPs as rated by research firm Point Topic. Only two of the
ISPs, Blueyonder from Telewest and Orange Broadband, do not ban the
sharing of a connection with third parties.
Seven of the ISPs, including BT, NTL and Tiscali, ban connection
sharing explicitly. One ISP, AOL, bans sharing but only if the
access is sold. Fon does encourage users to charge for access.
The Fon system is designed to create an informal network of
users. If you buy a Fon router you receive a username and password.
If you have a Wi-Fi-enabled laptop and come into range of another
Fon router you can sign on with your Fon username and password and
use that internet access.
If you share your Wi-Fi for free at your own home then you can
use any Fon connection for free. If you don't share your own access
you can use any other Fon point for €3 per day, according to Fon.
If you decline the right to have free roaming access you can share
50% of the revenue generated by charging that €3 a day for your
access.
Though individual ISP policies tend to forbid sharing, Tim Snape
of Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) says that the idea
is a good one. "It sounds like a really good thing to do," he said.
"Anything that makes it easier for the consumer to get the benefit
of the internet is a good thing. There are negatives that need to
be addressed but our thinking is that it is good for the
consumer."
"If it is being used for normal use, browsing a few websites, a
bit of email, then the amount of traffic is so negligible it's not
an issue," said Snape. "But if it's being used to download
thousands of CDs then that is an issue but that would apply if it
was an individual who wasn't sharing it. It's abuse that ISPs don't
like."
A major concern for Wi-Fi users who share a connection is what
the connection is used for. Should a third party use the connection
for illegal activities, an investigation would lead to the address
of the person whose network was shared.
In Fon's case, though, each user must already be a Fon
subscriber and must sign in to use the network, meaning that
everyone using the network can be identified. "What Fon are doing
seems to be the right thing," said Snape. "The key to resolving
this problem is being able to identify the users."
Fon did not comment when contacted by OUT-LAW.
Disclaimer: We hope you find OUT-LAW’s content useful. It’s prepared by the lawyers at Pinsent Masons. Please remember, though, that it’s intended as general information only. It’s not legal advice. If that’s what you’re seeking, please
contact us. See also: our
full disclaimer
