diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/AndroidManifest.xml b/xwords4/android/XWords4/AndroidManifest.xml
index 45affadc3..1b368cc1e 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
           >
 
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
-  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
 
   <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="3" android:targetSdkVersion="4" />
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/CommsTransport.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/CommsTransport.java
index 84b71abcb..457313b71 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/CommsTransport.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/CommsTransport.java
@@ -26,13 +26,9 @@ import java.util.Vector;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import junit.framework.Assert;
 import android.telephony.SmsManager;
-import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
 import android.content.Intent;
-import android.content.IntentFilter;
 import android.app.PendingIntent;
 import android.content.Context;
-import android.net.ConnectivityManager;
-import android.net.NetworkInfo;
 import android.os.Build;
 import android.os.Handler;
 import android.os.Message;
@@ -81,9 +77,6 @@ public class CommsTransport implements TransportProcs {
     BlockingQueue<byte[]> m_queue;
 
     private Context m_context;
-    private ConnectivityManager m_connMgr;
-    private BroadcastReceiver m_receiver;
-    private boolean m_netAvail = false;
 
     public CommsTransport( int jniGamePtr, Context context, Handler handler,
                            DeviceRole role )
@@ -91,9 +84,6 @@ public class CommsTransport implements TransportProcs {
         m_jniGamePtr = jniGamePtr;
         m_context = context;
         m_handler = handler;
-
-        buildNetAvailReceiver();
-        m_queue = new ArrayBlockingQueue<byte[]>(16);
     }
 
     public class WriterThread extends Thread {
@@ -138,7 +128,6 @@ public class CommsTransport implements TransportProcs {
 
             for ( ; ; ) {
                 try { 
-                    Utils.logf( "ReaderThread: blocking inside readShort();" );
                     short len = dis.readShort();
                     Utils.logf( "ReaderThread: read length short: %d", len );
                     byte[] buf = new byte[len];
@@ -168,16 +157,16 @@ public class CommsTransport implements TransportProcs {
                 Utils.logf( "%s", ioe.toString() );
             }
         }
-        // destroyNetAvailReceiver();
     }
 
     private void startThreadsIf()
     {
-        if ( null == m_socket && m_netAvail ) {
+        if ( null == m_socket ) {
             try {
                 m_socket = new Socket( m_addr.ip_relay_hostName, 
                                        m_addr.ip_relay_port );
                 if ( null != m_socket ) {
+                    m_queue = new ArrayBlockingQueue<byte[]>(16);
                     m_reader = new ReaderThread();
                     m_reader.start();
                     m_writer = new WriterThread();
@@ -193,59 +182,6 @@ public class CommsTransport implements TransportProcs {
         }
     }
 
-    private class CommsBroadcastReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
-        @Override
-        public void onReceive( Context context, Intent intent ) 
-        {
-            Utils.logf( "CommsBroadcastReceiver::onReceive()" );
-            if ( intent.getAction().
-                 equals( ConnectivityManager.CONNECTIVITY_ACTION)) {
-
-                NetworkInfo ni = (NetworkInfo)intent.
-                    getParcelableExtra(ConnectivityManager.EXTRA_NETWORK_INFO);
-                boolean netAvail = NetworkInfo.State.CONNECTED == ni.getState();
-                if ( m_netAvail != netAvail ) {
-                    // Do something; it's a change
-                    m_netAvail = netAvail;
-                    if ( netAvail ) {
-                        startThreadsIf();
-                    // } else {
-                    //     waitToStop();
-                    }
-                }
-
-                Utils.logf( "CommsTransport::onReceive: m_netAvail=%s",
-                            m_netAvail?"true":"false" );
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    private void buildNetAvailReceiver()
-    {
-        m_connMgr = (ConnectivityManager)
-            m_context.getSystemService( Context.CONNECTIVITY_SERVICE );
-        NetworkInfo ni = m_connMgr.getActiveNetworkInfo();
-        m_netAvail = null != ni && 
-            NetworkInfo.State.CONNECTED == ni.getState();
-        Utils.logf( "CommsTransport::buildNetAvailReceiver: m_netAvail=%s",
-                    m_netAvail?"true":"false" );
-
-        m_receiver = new CommsBroadcastReceiver();
-        IntentFilter filter = new IntentFilter();
-        filter.addAction( ConnectivityManager.CONNECTIVITY_ACTION );
-        Intent intent = m_context.registerReceiver( m_receiver, filter );
-        Utils.logf( "CommsTransport::registerReceiver->%s", 
-                    intent==null?"null" : intent.toString() );
-    }
-
-    private void destroyNetAvailReceiver()
-    {
-        if ( null != m_receiver ) {
-            m_context.unregisterReceiver( m_receiver );
-            m_receiver = null;
-        }
-    }
-
     // TransportProcs interface
     public int transportSend( byte[] buf, final CommsAddrRec faddr )
     {