As Australia’s national broadband performance testing program winds down, thousands of routers distributed to volunteers have been disabled, even though many remain fully operational and capable of reuse with some technical effort.
- Thousands of SamKnows routers distributed since 2020 were disabled after program end
- Routers run open-source software and can be reflashed for normal use
- Calls grow for environmentally friendly disposal and reuse of these devices
What happened
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission launched the Measuring Broadband Australia (MBA) program in 2020 to gauge the performance of fixed-line broadband services on the National Broadband Network and other providers. Thousands of volunteers received specialized SamKnows whitebox routers configured to measure internet speed and quality using test servers hosted in Australia.
With the program concluding on June 30, 2026, the ACCC disabled all these devices and closed associated user accounts. Volunteers were informed by email that the devices would stop collecting data and user measurement data would be deleted. However, many of the routers remained physically functional and could be repurposed with technical effort.
Why it matters
Although the purpose-built routers served an important role in collecting broadband performance data for years, disabling thousands of fully working devices creates avoidable electronic waste. The routers run a customized OpenWRT firmware, meaning tech-savvy users can reflash them to serve as standard high-performance Wi-Fi routers.
Stakeholders and volunteers argue that a final firmware update unlocking user control could have extended the devices’ useful life, reducing environmental impact. Instead, volunteers were encouraged to dispose of the whiteboxes through standard e-waste channels, prompting criticism that the effort to recycle these assets responsibly is insufficient.
What to watch next
Industry observers will be looking for whether government agencies and companies like SamKnows implement better sustainability practices in future technology programs. This could include open-sourcing device firmware or building in features to enable post-program repurposing and donation of hardware to mitigate waste.
Additionally, similar initiatives in other countries, such as the US program by SamKnows and the FCC in 2011, might come under scrutiny regarding their handling of testing equipment lifecycle. Increased public attention to e-waste impacts may influence how broadband performance measurement projects source and retire their hardware.