German Regulator About To Ban Branded WiFi Routers Provided By Internet Service Providers

In July, the Federal Network Agency (FNA) announced that its  draft proposal for new transparency rules will be forwarded to the German parliament for approval soon. The rules shall enter into force in autumn this year. The proposed new rules would prevent German Internet service providers (ISPs) from obliging their customers to use a company-branded router. Moreover, ISPs would have to inform their customers that their terminal equipment is interchangeable and, upon request, provide them with all details required for installing alternative router hardware.

Branded routers have been under scrutiny for quite some time in Germany. ISPs argue that standardized routers make technical support easier and better protect their network operations. Consumers' associations challenge these arguments in light of the security risks inherent in homogenous network ecosystems. They also claim that consumers were illegitimately restricted in freely choosing their preferred network