> I don't want the FCC trying to obtain the resources to patrol the RF spectrum across millions of US square miles.
Why would they need to? If someone is causing interference then the victims can report it.
It's not like there are going to be millions of different people causing interference. The only way it possibly happens on a mass scale is if someone is mass distributing bad firmware, and then you can go after them.
> Cheaper to simply regulate control over the RF hardware.
Except that it isn't. At all. First, there is software defined radio, then there is hardware from other countries, and then there is the fact that because they're limiting access to the whole device, people are definitely going to figure out how to bypass it for at least some devices, so the regulations can't be effective anyway.
> Ham radio operators have to take tests to operate in certain areas of spectrum. I'd be willing to allow experimentation with RF hardware if RF hackers want to go through the same licensing requirements that already exist.
It isn't about people experimenting with RF hardware. For that use case what you're talking about is fine. But people who have no interest in RF hardware and just want to install OpenWRT should still be able to do it. On everything. Because otherwise, whatever people can't install it on becomes a security zombie as soon as the manufacturer stops supporting it but the customers keep using it.
> The baseband is proprietary in all phones, even those in the $10-30 range. Cost is not the issue.
Then how are we discussing this on an article that says a router maker has decided that it's cheaper to lock the whole device than just the baseband?
> It's not like there are going to be millions of different people causing interference
Why not? When someone has trouble with wifi in their apartment because there are a zillion other wifi networks in their neighborhood, and they Google for "boost my wifi signal" or similar they are going to get several articles that suggest installing open source firmware so they can tweak performance parameters that they cannot with the stock firmware, including tweaking transmit power.
Then the FCC can go to the people making that firmware and demand that they remove the option that allows violating FCC regulations or face a large fine. The developers presumably didn't intend to violate FCC regulations, so they comply, and then that stops happening.
It's not like there are millions of different people making open source router firmware. There are a small handful.
Not to someone that wants to turn up their signal power it isn't, they don't consider themselves to be causing problems, they just don't care so much about other people.
You can't really place restrictions like this in FOSS software. It doesn't work.
> Then how are we discussing this on an article that says a router maker has decided that it's cheaper to lock the whole device than just the baseband?
Because people are entitled? And think they have rights that they don't? You have a right to software under a certain license. If government regulation prevents that layer of software from bring open source, it isn't. What about that is difficult to understand?
> But people who have no interest in RF hardware and just want to install OpenWRT should still be able to do it. On everything.
There is no law, regulation, whatever that says this is required by a manufacturer. You are free to your opinion, of course.
> That is correct. People are entitled to control the things that they own.
so long as it doesn't effect others. Just like existing cell phone regulation. Do you own a cell phone? You already own a device you cannot fully control.
There is scads of legal precedent that some actions that may not result in harm are still not permissible because of risk, or consequence, or difficulty of policing, etc.
HN has a rather libertarian bent and loves to suggest what you've suggested- that actual harm is the only thing that ought to be prohibited. But (IMO) that isn't always suitable.
> There is scads of legal precedent that some actions that may not result in harm are still not permissible because of risk, or consequence, or difficulty of policing, etc.
And those things are the last resort after we've proven with much hard thinking and a long stint of trial and error that nothing else can possibly work. Even at that point we would still have to evaluate whether the cure is worse than the disease.
Are you seriously contending that this is such a case? Custom router firmware is in the same category as private ownership of smallpox and nuclear materials?
Why would they need to? If someone is causing interference then the victims can report it.
It's not like there are going to be millions of different people causing interference. The only way it possibly happens on a mass scale is if someone is mass distributing bad firmware, and then you can go after them.
> Cheaper to simply regulate control over the RF hardware.
Except that it isn't. At all. First, there is software defined radio, then there is hardware from other countries, and then there is the fact that because they're limiting access to the whole device, people are definitely going to figure out how to bypass it for at least some devices, so the regulations can't be effective anyway.
> Ham radio operators have to take tests to operate in certain areas of spectrum. I'd be willing to allow experimentation with RF hardware if RF hackers want to go through the same licensing requirements that already exist.
It isn't about people experimenting with RF hardware. For that use case what you're talking about is fine. But people who have no interest in RF hardware and just want to install OpenWRT should still be able to do it. On everything. Because otherwise, whatever people can't install it on becomes a security zombie as soon as the manufacturer stops supporting it but the customers keep using it.
> The baseband is proprietary in all phones, even those in the $10-30 range. Cost is not the issue.
Then how are we discussing this on an article that says a router maker has decided that it's cheaper to lock the whole device than just the baseband?