Gossip

Taxing the Wireless LAN? Per square foot?

Sniffer is fascinated by the Florida proposal to levy a communications tax. Not on phones, no; Florida wants to tax LANs.

The proposal may be regarded by some as a hoax, but the Hunky Mouse has been informed that it's perfectly serious.

But what about wireless LANS?

According to packets intercepted from Geek News, computer networking is classified as "substitute communications systems" - something which in the old days of Strowger phone systems would have been seen as a way of dodging phone tax.

Amazingly, Florida's legislators have decided that this "substitute communications" doesn't just apply to links from the bank computer to the town hall computer, but between ANY two machines. Even if they are two PCs in the same room.

It's a great idea! All we need is a handy catch-all charging model. The Hunky Mouse thinks it's obvious for wired LANs: you charge per foot of Cat 5 network cable, and half that for Cat 5 cable. But what about 802.11 wireless?

Perhaps the most sensible way is to work out how much wall space is "illuminated" by the signal, and charge per square foot? Or maybe, the number of access points? or the number of client devices, multiplied by the number of hours they're switched on?

A small but obnoxious prize awaits the best suggestion for how to tax Wireless LANs ...