Universities, libraries and other public institutions are becoming ever more concerned about various issues regarding the Digital Economy Bill which will pass over policing liabilities to those bodies operating Wi-Fi systems. In effect this means that any material downloaded using a public institution Wi-Fi system could leave the institution itself open to prosecution and potentially large fines.
While there is no doubt that the Digital Economy Bill has focused the minds of many upon the UK broadband network and the need to expand it for the future, there are a number of alarming situations arising. Not only has the government apparently fallen on the side of media moguls regarding copyrighted material and the process by which Internet users would be blocked from access but now we have the policing of Wi-Fi systems handed back to those operating the service.
There is no doubt that broadband is a vital part of the UK economy and pivotal to the future success of the country. If institutions, or businesses, have any concerns about potential liabilities when operating Wi-Fi networks then we could see a number of projects put on hold – which would in due course impact upon the competitiveness of the UK economy.