Brief: FCC's Washington office offers public Wi-Fi access

Computerworld - Visitors to the Federal Communications Commission's Washington headquarters who need Internet access can now leave their wires at home.
The FCC announced yesterday that it would provide free wireless Internet access to visitors in its Washington offices. The new system uses the 802.11a and 802.11b protocols, also known as Wi-Fi.
Visitors who bring their own hardware and software can use the service on the Twelfth Street, Courtyard, and Eighth Floor levels of the headquarters at 445 12th St. SW, the agency said in a statement (download PDF).
"We're embracing the power of Wi-Fi and the freedom and convenience of wireless Internet access it gives to consumers," FCC Chairman Michael Powell said in the statement.
Last year, Powell directed his staff to take the steps needed to make the FCC one of the first federal agencies to provide public Wi-Fi access.
The agency said it will be unable to provide technical support to visitors. In addition, visitors will be responsible for all transactions made using the service.
The FCC said that it won't request personal identifying information before allowing people to access the wireless network. However, the agency said it will provide data from system audit logs to support external investigations of improper Internet use if requested by outside authorities.
FCC spokesman Richard Diamond said he isn't aware of any other federal agency offering wireless Internet access to the public.
Diamond said the Internet connection provided at the agency's Washington offices is separate from the FCC's internal system.
"You couldn't access any internal FCC items any more easily than you could from home," he said.

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