Last but not least: Demand undesirable

UPC Cablecom is getting serious and, as announced in spring, is introducing "Wi-Free" - nationwide free Internet for its own customers. This only works if customers make their private WLAN routers available. These then transmit not only a private signal, but now also a public signal.

The fact that not everyone will agree with this is as certain as the Amen in church. Does the router emit more radiation if it now also has to provide a signal for other passers-by? Does it consume more power? Will the public signal make your own network more vulnerable? Is the whole thing at the expense of your own bandwidth? Is the slow Wi-Free (download: 5Mbit/second) necessary if the fast 4G network offers sufficient mobile Internet anyway in times of flat rates and cheap data packages?

Questions that customers might ask themselves before taking part in the "project". Cleverly, UPC Cablecom takes the difficult decision off their hands and switches Wi-Free on automatically. If a customer does not want to take part, they have to take action and unsubscribe. Provided they find out about it and read the brochure carefully enough. What the customer doesn't know won't make them hot. "Preventing annoying questions - check!"

Speaking of annoying questions: the program "10 to 10" also had them last week. The questions weren't actually that stupid and deserved equal answers. But SRF did the math without media spokesperson Maurer and promptly gritted its teeth at his stubbornness.

In the article, for example, consumer advocate Sara Stalder criticizes the automatic activation of Wi-Free. She thinks it would be better if the customer had to log on rather than log off. What does Maurer say to this understandable objection? "Nothing will change for our customers. The practice has proven itself. Customers want it that way. In other words, they want Wi-Free and that means we offer the largest Wi-Fi network in Switzerland." SRF question: "But still, if you don't read it through carefully, you're just in?". Maurer remains firm: "As I said before, nothing will change for our customers, the practice has proven itself, our customers want it that way and they want Wi-Free." I see.

An internet security expert expresses concerns as data could be intercepted. Question for Mr. Maurer. What concrete steps have been taken to guarantee security? "As I said, nothing has changed for our customers, Wi-Fi is secure, just as secure as Wi-Free". I see. Then we've sorted that out too. And now, dear UPC-Cablecom customers: Have fun with your nationwide WLAN. That's exactly what you wanted, schinz.

Thomas Häusermann / Pictures: Screenshots "10 to 10", September 12, 2014