FCC Fines Hilton Hotels for Blocking Guests' Wi-Fi Hotspots
Hilton Hotels has been investigated and fined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for interfering with Wi-Fi signals. The FCC said Hilton Hotels Group hindered an investigation into whether it blocked customers' personal Wi-Fi hotspots. The investigation began in August 2014, when Hilton guests began filing complaints with the FCC saying the hotel was preventing them from using its Wi-Fi hotspots unless they paid a hefty fee.
To get around expensive hotel Wi-Fi fees, many guests choose to use hotspot devices that convert their cell phone provider's 4G data into Wi-Fi signals, or even some smartphones that emit Wi-Fi signals themselves. Hotels reportedly use Wi-Fi signal jammer; to prevent guests from using their own Wi-Fi, except for the hotel's own Wi-Fi network signal.
The FCC sent Hilton a letter of inquiry in November 2014 requesting basic information about its Wi-Fi blocking practices, but said a year later that Hilton had failed to respond at the "vast majority of its hotels." On Monday, the FCC fined Hilton $25,000 for obstructing the investigation and threatened larger fines if it continued to remain silent.
FCC Enforcement Bureau Director Travis LeBlanc said: "Hotel guests' Wi-Fi blocking complaints deserve an investigation by the Commission." Hilton said it "strongly" disagreed with the FCC's fine and said it had cooperated with the FCC. It also has a policy prohibiting hotels from blocking Wi-Fi and has communicated this message to all hotels.
Similar situations have occurred elsewhere, such as Marriott being fined $600,000 for blocking Wi-Fi at its convention center, and the operator of the Baltimore Convention Center was fined $780,000 for interfering with Wi-Fi signals. The FCC has banned the use of Wi-Fi jammers.