SFC: What the FCC router ban means for FOSS

Denver Gingerich of the Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC) has publishedan articleon the impact of the ban onthe sale of all new home routers not made in the United Statesissued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The SFC, ofcourse, is the organizationbehind the OpenWrt One router.

Since software updates to already-FCC-approved devices do notrequire a new FCC approval, it appears the FCC is trying to movebeyond its usual authorization procedures to restrict whatmanufacturers are allowed to push to existing routers. However, theFCC notably does not restrict software changes made by owners ofrouters in the U.S. In particular, there is no indication that updatespeople make to their own routers, using software they have sourcedthemselves, would run afoul of any past or present FCC rule.

As a result, we do not believe that this new FCC decision affectswhether and how people can run OpenWrt or other user-selected firmwareupdates on routers they have already purchased. Not only is this animportant right in relation to our ownership and control of our owndevices, it also ensures that people can keep their routers secure forfar longer than the manufacturer may choose to provide securityupdates, by allowing them to install up-to-date community softwarethat supports routers for 10, 15, or even more years after theirinitial release date, as OpenWrt does for many devices.

He also notes that, as the OpenWrt One is already FCC-approved,there should be no impact on its availability in the US. The SFC hasasked the FCC for clarification and plans to provide updates when theyreceive a reply.