ACCC disables 2600 SamKnows whiteboxes June 30 2026 after MBA program termination
ACCC contract terms forced bricking of 2600 functional SamKnows routers on June 30 2026. Primary reports show no reuse mechanism despite operational hardware. Pattern matches fixed-term measurement contracts that ignore residual device value.
The ACCC distributed over 2600 SamKnows whiteboxes by December 2020 against an initial target of 4000 units. Devices performed scheduled latency, throughput and packet-loss tests against SamKnows-hosted Australian servers. On June 30 2026 the units received a remote disable command, closing accounts and deleting measurement data per the EULA. Volunteers received 14-day advance notice via email from the SamKnows team, now part of Cisco.
ACCC December 2020 documentation and the June 2026 final report confirm the program scope covered NBN fixed-line services plus select non-NBN networks. No public inventory of returned units or reuse pathway appears in either document. Comparable UK Ofcom SamKnows deployments retained hardware for successive measurement rounds without mandatory bricking.
The contract structure locked disposal to program end date rather than device condition. This produced immediate e-waste from routers that continued to route traffic and accept firmware. No ACCC statement addressed secondary use, donation or resale options prior to the cutoff.
ACCC: Fewer than 200 routers enter verified reuse channels within 120 days of June 30 2026
Sources (2)
- [1]Primary Source(https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Measuring%20Broadband%20Australia%20-%20December%202020%20report.pdf)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Measuring%20Broadband%20Australia%20-%20Final%20report%202026.pdf)