Russia requires wi-fi registration

[KH]

A new regulatory agency in Russia has decided every device with Wi-Fi needs registration.

According to Karpov’s statement, registering a PDA or telephone would take 10 days. Then, only the owner of the device would be licensed to use it. Registering a Wi-Fi hotspot, on the other hand, would be more difficult. Anyone wishing to set up as much as a personal home-network would need to file a complete set of documents, as well as technological certifications.

Sources: The Other Russia: Russian Agency Demands Registration for all Wi-Fi Devices
Wifi net news: Russia Requires Wi-Fi Registration
Slashdot: Russia to Require Registration for Wi-Fi Use

Interesting. Browsing the wigle web maps (and using openstreetmap for reference to find out which part of the world I'm lloking at) shows found networks in parts of Russia.

[themacuser]

What's the bet that it will be like FRS in the US - nobody really ever bothered registering with that for the "license fee", and the whole thing was scrapped.



"Rossvyazokhrankultura (short for the Russian Mass Media, Communications and Cultural Protection Service)"

Short for? I think it's faster to say the original...

[Phenixo]

And not only Russia.... But it aloso provides secuirity.. so. I vote for it!

[jomin]

Well, now that Wikileaks has confirmed the spying and surveillance on our devices by the government, we can be now assured as to why they this law came into being. With Wi-Fi registered, they can track us anywhere anytime. I am sure Russia wasn’t the only country doing these surveillances by the way.