One of the most fascinating stories to recently begin trending throughout the media is associated with one of the largest hotel chains in North America. This past week, Marriott International was fined $600,000 for blocking conference attendees and exhibitors personal Wi-Fi connection. The fine came after a lengthy investigation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) who was given a tip by a guest at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The guest complained that the hotel was “jamming devices in its function room” (The Independent, 2014). Shortly after, a similar complaint was made about another Marriott property. Upon detailed investigation, the FCC learned that the Hotel giant not only blocked personal Wi-Fi hotspots but charged its guests double to use the hotel Wi-Fi connection. If users didn’t pay the double charge, they risked losing Internet connection once they approached a conference centre. By disabling Wi-Fi, the hotels were able to charge conference attendees between $250 and $1,000 per device to use its own Wi-Fi. Although Marriott International defended the practice by claiming that it protects against “rogue wireless hotspots that can degrade service, insidious cyber-attacks and identity theft”, it agreed to pay the fine (The Independent, 2014).
In my opinion, this is a pretty tasteless and detrimental move on Marriott’s part. Marriott International attracts business men and women from all over the world. Companies from all over the globe use Marriott facilities for week long conferences while individuals travelling on business look to Marriott International for a safe and accommodating stay. Nothing is more frustrating for a hotel guest, specifically one who is away on business, when Wi-Fi does not work properly or guests are charged a ridiculous sum of money for Wi-Fi access. As a hotel giant who has built its brand on serving the business sector, Wi-Fi should be included and there should most definitely not be a scandal of this calibre. I fully agree that companies should take precaution and ensure that all guests are provided with safe access to Wi-Fi hotspots. However, intentionally disabling personal hotspots while also charging consumers alarmingly high fees to use the hotels own Wi-Fi network is absolutely intolerable. This practice not only forces users to pay double if they chose to embrace the high Wi-Fi access fee, however it also encourages many to forge their Internet access. Thus, hindering the company’s promised service to its guest and making the hotel chain an unlikely accommodation for its business clientele. The financial repercussions for these crimes against their clientele as well as the hindrance to their reputation will surely be felt by the hotel conglomerate for years to come.
Source of Article: http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/marriott-fined-600-000-fcc-blocking-wi-fi-n217886