After Hurricane Sandy, many companies started charity efforts to help combat the devastation left in its wake. Beer maker Anheuser-Busch shut down its Georgia plant in order to provide potable water for victims. Verizon and T-Mobile signed an agreement to allow roaming across both networks in affected areas. Even telecommunications giant Comcast provided free wireless internet (Wi-Fi) at all of its hotspots for non-Comcast subscribers on the east coast, at least until Nov. 7. 

It is understandable that people need services, like the Internet, to communicate with their affected loved ones who lost coverage during the storm. But the Electronic Frontier Foundation is asking providers, like Comcast, to take it to another level by permanently providing wireless Internet for free, and it is also asking owners of wireless Internet routers everywhere to keep their networks unsecured for open access. 

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has just launched its Open Wireless Movement, a program that aims to create a future where wireless Internet is a free resource available to everyone. The movement encourages all Internet service providers (ISPs), small businesses and even ordinary home users to keep their wireless networks open so that anyone could connect and use it.  

The foundation believes that such a society would lead to a more efficient system of wireless Internet and do away with the identifying power of an Internet protocol (IP) address, making Internet usage more private. Most importantly, they argue that people would always have access to the Internet and stay connected, especially in times of need.

While their aim is positive, the movement seems to gloss over several key problems with their plan. Users of the open wireless system would still have their Internet connection restricted to the location of wireless routers, putting those who do not live in urban areas at a disadvantage. And while, in theory, floating from IP address to IP address would prevent a user from being tied down to one identifier and increase his or her privacy, this would make it harder for authorities to apprehend cyber criminals by making them even more anonymous.  

Even worse, this could result in innocent people being pinned with crimes wrongfully, simply because the actual perpetrator had used their wireless network. Having all the extra traffic on your router would also cut your bandwidth and subsequently, your Internet speed.   

The movement’s website, openwireless.org, tries to assuage these worries by answering some frequently asked questions, such as the issues mentioned above. Their responses only provide superficial solutions at best; in response to the question “Will opening my network make me liable for other’s illegal activities?”, the movement answers, “We don’t think so.”  While it does provide some technical assistance and guidelines to help users looking to join the movement protect their network security while remaining open, it only alienates those less technical-minded. 

Most importantly, the foundation and movement fail to recognize this one basic fact about the Internet that prevents them from getting any traction: The Internet costs money. Sure, in times of crisis, everyone is eager to lend a hand and provide charity. But as things settle back down, it will be tough to find anyone who would be willing to provide a free service to others by paying out of their own pocket, especially in our current economic climate. 

Brian is a junior in Engineering. He can be reached at brianyu1@readtechno.com.