Wifi in Cannes: are you being watched?

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:08:00 +0000

In all the years I’ve been travelling to Cannes and using cyber-cafes and later WiFi, I can’t remember ever having to show ID. Simon Glynn of RiveriaOne, however, posted an interesting item on his company’s blog. RiveriaOne provides IT, network and security systems during the trade fairs and also in private residences. He pointed to a rather little-known law in France which in theory affects anyone who uses the Internet while in Cannes…

“Since 2006, any establishment in France providing Public Internet access must have in place a method of retaining user identity and internet activity for a period of one year.

The law (Décret n°2006-358 du 24 mars 2006) extends telecom data retention possibilities, by putting cybercafe owners and WiFi providers (whether access is free or not) in the same category as telecom operators. This means, in practice, that cybercafe owners, as well as bars, restaurants and hotels will have to ask their customers for their IDs for Internet use in their establishments and record their online activity. Any logged data may also be seized directly by the police, without any judicial order.”

I read it twice to make sure that I got it right, and it still reads the same: our browsing in Cannes should in theory be logged and can be made available to the police. Hmm. Worth knowing. But as he points out, very few establishments actually ask for ID, although if you use an access-related WiFi (such as those given out by Midem or the Festival), you can presumably be identified.

Source: RivieraOne

New EU-wide roaming charges in effect

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:23:10 +0000

The long-announced roaming charges on mobile phone calls and text messages are now in effect. Since July 1, visitors to Cannes (and indeed anyone travelling within the EU) will benefit from lower charges thanks to new regulations introduced by the EU Commission. The broad outline of the measures mean that:
* the price for sending a text message while abroad is limited to €0.11. Receiving an SMS in another EU country will remain free of charge.
* the cost of surfing the web and downloading movies or video programs with a mobile phone while abroad has a maximum wholesale cap of €1 per megabyte downloaded. This limit will be decreased each year.
* The new rules will also protect consumers from “bill shocks” by introducing a cut-off mechanism once the bill reaches €50, unless they choose another cut-off limit. Operators have until March 2010 to put this cut-off limit in place.
* prices for mobile roaming calls are reduced to a maximum tariff of €0.43 for making a call and €0.19 for receiving one.
* Introduce per second billing after the first 30 seconds for calls made and immediately for calls received.

* Limits the price for sending a text message while abroad at €0.11. Receiving an SMS in another EU country will remain free of charge.
* Reduces the cost of surfing the web and downloading movies or video programs with a mobile phone while abroad by introducing a maximum wholesale cap of €1 per megabyte downloaded. This limit will be decreased each year.
* The new rules will also protect consumers from “bill shocks” by introducing a cut-off mechanism once the bill reaches €50, unless they choose another cut-off limit. Operators have until March 2010 to put this cut-off limit in place.
* Further reduces prices for mobile roaming calls with a maximum tariff of €0.43 for making a call and €0.19 for receiving one.
* Introduce per second billing after the first 30 seconds for calls made and immediately for calls received.
* Ensure that citizens are kept adequately informed of the charges that apply for data roaming services.

Apparently, a German downloading a TV programme while roaming in France recently faced a bill of €46,000. I still wonder how much this would cost under the new EU Commission-backed rates.

To find out more about the cost of phoning when in Cannes, visit the EU Commission’s list of countries and operators.

Cannes or Bust » roaming

Wifi in Cannes: are you being watched?

New EU-wide roaming charges in effect