Recent rulings by the FCC against Marriott and Smart City for attempting to block Wi-Fi hotspots have sparked debates in our industry and raised many questions.

Understanding the FCC Wi-Fi Ruling.

The intent behind the FCC rulings is to protect the rights of individuals to use their own hotspots for Wi-Fi instead of being forced to pay to use a venue’s Wi-Fi network, usually at a much higher cost. The ramifications of these rules (which have actually been in place for a long time but are just now being enforced) are both good and bad from the point of view of an Event Planner.