Steve Bellovin3d ago

I've been thinking about the FCC's insane new ban on foreign-made routers. Note the end of the BBC story at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74787w149zo:
"One exception to the general absence of US-made routers is the newer Starlink WiFi router. Starlink is part of Elon Musk's company SpaceX.

"The company says the Starlink routers are made in Texas."

And per the FCC's FAQ (https://www.fcc.gov/faqs-recent-updates-fcc-covered-list-regarding-routers-produced-foreign-countries), even US-written software (or, I assume, open source software like OpenWRT) won't exempt foreign-made routers from the ban.

US bans new foreign-made consumer internet routers

There are almost no major brands of internet routers that are manufactured in the US.

Show threadRootWyrm 🇺🇦3d ago

@SteveBellovin @fsinn correct.

The way the order is written, they have effectively banned home Internet. There is no such thing as a DOCSIS modem that is not also capable of routing; every fiber ONT is foreign and capable of routing.

Show threadFrancisca Sinn

@rootwyrm @SteveBellovin

All the better for controlling media and impeding organized dissent. Iran has been dark, without internet, for how many weeks now?

Mar 24 at 2:05pmWeb