The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) concluded its Measuring Broadband Australia program last month, which had enlisted thousands of volunteers to test and report on broadband performance across the nation. As part of the initiative launched in 2020, participants received SamKnows whitebox routers designed to measure internet speed and performance on Australia’s National Broadband Network and other access networks.
Following the program’s conclusion on June 30, the routers were remotely disabled, rendering them inoperative. Volunteers received notification in mid-June that their devices would be deactivated and their associated SamKnows accounts closed. The ACCC has not disclosed the exact number of routers affected, though internal reports indicate the agency distributed over 2,600 units by late 2020, with expectations to deploy approximately 4,000 throughout the program.
Participants and technical observers have raised concerns about electronic waste, noting that the routers remain physically functional and could be repurposed. The devices run a custom version of OpenWRT, an open-source Linux operating system, meaning they can technically be reflashed into standard Wi-Fi routers. At least one volunteer has successfully converted their unit and reported satisfactory performance. Volunteers have been directed to dispose of the disabled devices through free e-waste recycling services offered by local councils and major retailers.
When contacted about the decision to disable the routers rather than release them for public use, SamKnows, which is now owned by Cisco following a 2023 acquisition, declined to provide comment and directed inquiries to the ACCC. The ACCC similarly declined to explain why a final firmware update was not released to allow continued device operation. Neither agency has addressed suggestions that disabling the devices represented an unnecessarily wasteful approach to the program’s conclusion.
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