EFF calls for embracing open Wi-Fi
updated 03:10 pm EDT, Mon May 2, 2011
EFF to form Open Wireless Movement with others
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has recently issued an open letter calling for the need to embrace open Wi-Fi networks. Such networks are harder to find as people fear privacy, performance and broadband allowance theft and are locking down their networks, the EFF argued, which leads to a loss of convenience, privacy and efficient use of the wireless spectrum. The Foundation called for an Open Wireless Movement, both political and technological, to slow and regress the decision to close down Wi-Fi networks by private users.
On the technology side, it asked for development of ways to allow users to easily share a part of their bandwidth without decreasing performance. Prioritizing a user's main network and making the open portion secondary is one way to achieve this, it said, alluding to devices like Fon's routers. It still wanted to ensure there was no risk to security or privacy goes hand in hand with this requirement as well.
The EFF said it is working with unnamed organizations to launch an Open Wireless Movement and was calling for wireless technologists who were willing to help.
