The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission concluded its Measuring Broadband Australia program last month, which had enlisted thousands of volunteers to test and report on broadband speeds and performance across the country. Participants received SamKnows whitebox routers that were designed to collect performance data through test servers maintained by the testing provider. Following the program’s June 30 conclusion, all deployed routers were disabled and rendered inoperable.
According to program documentation, the ACCC initially anticipated distributing approximately 4,000 devices and had deployed over 2,600 units by late 2020. The exact number of routers disabled last month was not specified by the ACCC. Volunteers received notification in mid-June that their devices would be deactivated and their associated accounts and data would be closed or deleted in accordance with end-user licensing agreements.
However, participants and observers have raised concerns about the decision to disable functioning equipment. The routers operate on OpenWRT, an open-source Linux-based operating system, meaning they could theoretically be reconfigured for use as standard Wi-Fi routers. At least one volunteer successfully converted their device through a reflashing process. Environmental advocates have questioned why thousands of working devices were rendered unusable rather than released for redeployment, characterizing the approach as an unnecessary contributor to electronic waste.
The ACCC and SamKnows, which is owned by Cisco following a 2023 acquisition, have not provided detailed explanations for the decision to disable rather than repurpose the hardware. Both organizations directed inquiries to each other or declined to elaborate beyond general statements. The relevant parties appeared to avoid clarifying whether concerns about liability or continued support obligations influenced the approach. The ACCC encouraged volunteers to dispose of the devices through free e-waste recycling services available through local councils and major retailers.
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