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 threadSteve Bellovin3d ago
@rootwyrm @fsinn Yes. I expect that the big consumer ISPs will get waivers, which has its own implications. (Also note that currently approved models can continue to be manufactured and imported; it's merely that new ones won't get FCC approval, and hence will be banned.)
Show threadAlex Strasheim3d ago
@SteveBellovin @rootwyrm @fsinn Wouldn't the need for waivers give the government a huge amount of leverage over ISPs? If you don't cut off people we don't like, we'll withhold your wavier, etc.
Show threadSteve Bellovin3d ago
@astrashe @rootwyrm @fsinn Precisely. I think there are other implications as well.
Show threadRootWyrm 🇺🇦3d ago
@SteveBellovin @astrashe @fsinn gimme a sec to catch up here; I was talking exactly this with some press folks and it goes MUCH deeper.
Show threadRootWyrm 🇺🇦3d ago

@SteveBellovin @astrashe @fsinn basically, any company can apply for a 'conditional approval' from the DoD + DHS - it requires BOTH to approve. This is a bright red flag and a clear signal of intent.

That conditional approval is going to be dependent on one, a bribe. And two, doing whatever the government says. That could be censorship lists. But it could also be mandatory 'age verification' with ID to use the Internet, back doors, wire taps, etc.

Show threadRootWyrm 🇺🇦3d ago
@SteveBellovin @astrashe @fsinn there is no upper bound to the kind of fuckery possible, nor is it possible to overstate the risks. Especially as government-mandated backdoors, stripping anonymity, and breaking encryption has been on the wishlist of every fucking president since Reagan. ESPECIALLY the supposed 'opposition' ones.
Show threadAndrew Hodgson
@rootwyrm @SteveBellovin @astrashe @fsinn Yeah this isn't about protecting the consumers or doing the right thing in terms of long-term router support/firmware updates is it.
Mar 25 at 12:42pmWeb