Australian government tells volunteers to discard thousands of working test routers

Last week, thousands of SamKnows routers were bricked after a government program ran its course. The Australian government's chief competition regulator, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), conducted a program in 2020 that provided thousands of volunteers with routers to test and report on the typical speed and performance of broadband plans in Australia. The Measuring Broadband Australia (MBA) program focused on fixed-line broadband services provided over the NBN, Australia's government-owned wholesale open-access broadband network, as well as services delivered over other access networks.

The routers, whiteboxes supplied by SamKnows, performed tests to measure internet performance using test servers maintained by SamKnows and hosted in Australia. The final report distributed by the ACCC did not offer an explanation for the disposal of the routers. The disposal of these functioning routers raises questions about the responsible use of technology resources.

Why this matters: The decision to discard thousands of working routers highlights a missed opportunity for the Australian government to promote sustainability and reduce electronic waste. As the country continues to invest in broadband infrastructure, this move seems counterintuitive. Developers and businesses working on similar projects should consider the environmental implications of their initiatives.

For consumers, this serves as a reminder of the need for greater awareness about the environmental impact of technology. The broader industry impact of this decision will likely be minimal, but it does underscore the importance of incorporating sustainable practices into technology testing and deployment. Open questions remain about the potential for repurposing or donating these routers to organizations in need, and the government's criteria for determining their disposal.