US FCC announces that they will deny certification to "foreign-made consumer-grade" routers
4 points by hoistbypetard
4 points by hoistbypetard
That's wild. While it's not particularly challenging to DIY from PC parts (or an appropriate SBC), this seems like it could be crippling for ISPs. The routers they install by default when you buy a plan from them are certainly not US made. And I don't think they have readily available equivalents on the US market.
I really wonder what the regulator's actual goal might be.
I'm sure the ISPs can find a ballroom or something to sponsor to get an exception. Or promise to ship updated filter lists to combat woke terrorism.
In addition to the likely palm greasing to happen, I can foresee FCC approved firmwares being deployed that have some convenient telemetry for monitoring actual usage. I hate that my brain is flirting with conspiracy theory on so much of this, but it's getting harder and harder to not see it.
So the US is no longer getting routers?
The order text promises a special commission to evaluate routers and approve them as not a threat to national security before FCC would agree to evaluate the normal operational stuff. Whatever the integrity level of the operations of this commission, it will probably approve enough stuff for this to be a price hike with quality drop, not full running out.
What you're arguing is that this order constitutes crony mercantilism, and that some of Trump's favored people will end up benefiting monetarily from it, by either taking bribes or being one of the cronies.