- The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has bricked thousands of routers
- Flashing alternative firmware like OpenWRT is an option the ACCC ignored
- Discarded SamKnows SK-WB8 routers may pose a security risk if not wiped with a factory reset first
The Australian government’s competition regulator, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), has begun erecting some 4,000 routers, deployed across the country in 2020, to collect information on broadband speeds.
Released under the Measurement Broadband Australia (MBA) program, the routers were white boxes from SamKnows, a Cisco subsidiary, and had a limited lifespan. This date was reached in June 2026, with the SamKnows SK-WB8 routers being remotely disabled on June 30.
As a result, Australians are likely to abandon bricked routers, leading to a sharp increase in e-waste. In doing so, they risk digital security breaches if the routers are not wiped first. Worse still, the ACCC’s position is further confused by the fact that these routers can be flashed, making their destruction entirely unnecessary.
Data deleted, but routers still work
Since the June 30 deadline, routers have been known to be powered down, and while they are equipped for Internet access, they can apparently be reused with custom router firmware. The nature of the data collected by routers for the MBA program was intended for customer measurement and registration, and this has apparently been removed, according to emails sent to program volunteers.
Although precise figures are unknown, as of December 2020, more than 2,600 SamKnows SK-WB8 routers have been distributed by the ACCC, with 4,000 expected to be released over the life of the MBA program.
Attempts to contact the ACCC and Cisco to find out more about why MBA program volunteers are encouraged to get rid of perfectly usable routers were met with simple, no-commitment responses.
The ACCC gave ArsTechnica a history of the device and the MBA program, while stating that “volunteers are encouraged to unplug their deactivated white box and dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner via free e-waste recycling services.”
Should you ditch your ACCC router?
If there is no reason to keep your ACCC-supplied router and prepare a replacement, it is important to reset the device to factory settings before throwing it away. This ensures that all admin passwords, ISP details and custom network settings are deleted, preventing them from falling into the wrong hands.
Finding a safe disposal option will help ensure the router is properly disassembled. The ACCC has sent an email to recipients of SamKnows SK-WB8 routers informing them of the correct disposal procedure, with a link to a live list of e-waste services.
However, if you have the time and inclination to flash OpenWRT, a guide on how to do so is available on the OpenWRT page for the SamKnows SK-WB8.
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