Router Freedom is the right that end-users of any Internet Service Provider (ISP) have to choose and use a private modem and router instead of equipment that the ISP provides. Since 2013, the Free Software Foundation Europe has been successfully engaged with Router Freedom, promoting end-users’ freedom to choose and use their own terminal equipment – first in Germany as a precedent, and now in many European countries.
In the context of the reform of European telecommunications law, EU Member States are implementing the European Electronic Communications Code (Directive (EU) 2018/1972), which impacts Router Freedom. The new law requires from National Regulatory Agencies to define in their jurisdictions the NTP – network termination point, a demarcation limit at which the ISP’s network ends and connects with the customer’s on-premises equipment. Equivalently to the telephony, the NTP varies between countries and may change over time.
The FSFE has been working with regulators, decision makers, consumer and digital organisations to protect Router Freedom in Europe. The talk is a follow up from previous years, focusing on the updates and new challenges that emerged in the last months.
