Manufacturers of hardware that ships with Linux (and other code under software right-to-repair licenses like the GPL) often claim, without evidence, that they can't let you reinstall Linux on your device for some sort of regulatory reason. These claims might only apply to one jurisdiction, but the manufacturer tends to use this rationale to implement lockdown across all devices shipped in all regions. A common such claim we at Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC) have heard is that the FCC ostensibly requires that manufacturers explicitly block any software modifications by the user.

How does one test such a claim? Well, you could build a wireless router that runs stock OpenWrt and lets you modify it as you like, and then get that router tested to confirm it meets all FCC requirements. So we did just that.

The OpenWrt One is a wireless router built from the ground up by developers of OpenWrt, an SFC member project, and SFC staff to ensure that users would have full control of all the software on their device, and have it fully supported by stock OpenWrt on Day 1. It is shipped in full compliance with the GPL, which means you are able to modify and reinstall Linux (for example). As part of the design and testing of the OpenWrt One, we had it tested by an FCC testing lab to see if it met all FCC's requirements despite running software that the user could freely modify.

In this talk we'll explore the history of FCC's rules on this, and describe how the FCC tests went for the OpenWrt One. We are sure you will be shocked by the outcome! :)