In my humble opinion, this is ridiculous. Will they next demand a cut from satellite radio? Will they demand a cut of advertising revenue from radio and TV stations? Will amateur radio operators have to pay for a special license if their signals pass through First Nations airspace? What about airplanes that fly overhead?
John Mayson Austin, Texas, USA
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It is equally ridiculous for the various carriers to claim some sort of 'privacy in communications' rationale, and attempt to punish those persons who intercept or monitor or otherwise tamper with the carriers' signal, yet they (carriers) attempt to do that here in USA. Consider 'pay television' here in the United States. The carriers of same keep insisting that no one has a right to intercept their radio signals without the proper payment of their fee for service.
On the other hand, some radio pirates insist upon their right to examine any/all particles entering upon their land, electronic or otherwise. A good illustration of this would be those persons who _routinely_ monitor radio-telephone communications and challenge the FCC to make them stop doing so. Their rationale seems to be 'if it is on my property I have the right to inspect it. If you do not like that, then build an impenetrable 'wall' around my property, forcing your radio signal to travel in some other direction, or possibly not travel at all past that point.' If it (radio signal) penetrates my property then I have the right to charge a 'transit fee' for same. Are radio waves suppoedly inviolate? I think not; since there are many theatres, restaurants, other public places in the USA which use 'mesh-like' devices to specifically neutralize or diminish radio transmissions. You might feel that radio waves have the right to do their own thing, or travel at will, wherever. Obviously not everyone would agree with that. PAT]