Unlock the the vodafone router under the new law

[gipjon]

Can a member of the vodafone admin team please let us know how we can unlock the vodafone router so we can use it again under the new law right to repair 

[Mark]

Hey @gipjon 👋 Are you looking to unlock one of our mobile broadband routers, or is this concerning a fixed line router?

[Jayach]

This is the  Home broadband & landline forum, what do you think?

[Mark]

I'm just checking the post had been added to the correct board @Jayach, as we offer both mobile and fixed line services and the Community contains boards on both subjects.

If you can confirm which type of router you're looking to unlock @gipjon, we'll be more than happy to help with this 😊

[gipjon]

The THG3000G 

[Mark]

Perfect @gipjon, thanks! This isn't something that's been passed out to us just yet. But I've contacted the team that deals with these kind of issues and as soon as I've got an update, I'll let you know 😊

[KeithAlger]

So far as I'm aware the new law requires the provision of physical spare parts.  I'm not aware of any components used in Technicolor manufactured routers that cannot be sourced.  So it might mean that Technicolor/Vodafone could have to supply a preprogrammed EPROM if requested, but that would be about the extent of it.  If you think about it, that's as far as it's going to go, as copyright licenses apply to much of the content of those EPROMs.  So there would be no requirement to have the routers unlocked, or to provide source code!

*Again, I'm well prepared to be wrong, but this is my reading of this!

[HappyNomad]

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@gipjon wrote:

Can a member of the vodafone admin team please let us know how we can unlock the vodafone router so we can use it again under the new law right to repair 

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At a guess, (and it is just a guess), ownership of an ISP modem/router, will never actually pass to the service user and thus, the right to repair will remain wholly and exclusively with the supplying ISP.  

[KeithAlger]

HappyNomad is correct, in the current user agreement - section 3.7 (it wasn't always so), ownership of the equipment remains with Vodafone!

[Mark]

Thanks for the great points made @KeithAlger & @HappyNomad! I've raised this with the correct team now and as soon as they let me know the full details, I'll be sure to pass this on 😊

[Jayach]

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@HappyNomad wrote:

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@gipjon wrote:

Can a member of the vodafone admin team please let us know how we can unlock the vodafone router so we can use it again under the new law right to repair 

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At a guess, (and it is just a guess), ownership of an ISP modem/router, will never actually pass to the service user and thus, the right to repair will remain wholly and exclusively with the supplying ISP.  

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But under the WEEE regulations Vodafone should ensure their routers are recycled, and at the moment they do not seem to be doing that. Has anyone been asked to return their router at the end on their contract?

[KeithAlger]

There are differences between recycling, repairing, and repurposing.  Historically Vodafone has asked for the return of Customer Premises Equipment (that's their modem/router), even though the working in the agreements was a bit dodgy (it is still dodgy but in a different way).

Distributor obligations
All distributors must:

• offer free take back on WEEE
• accept WEEE for free from customers supplied with like-for-like products, regardless of whether this is done in-store, online or by mail order
• retain a record of all WEEE taken back for at least four years
• provide customers access to written information on the service provided and what they should do with their WEEE

So those obligations are pretty lightweight and don't include much in the way of publicising the process - if Vodafone doesn't ask for its equipment back it's more that you have a right to demand they take it back!  If you ask them to take it back and they fail to make a reasonable effort to do so, things get very interesting legally!

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/consumer/mobile/other/recycling-weee-regulations/

[Cynric]

.@KeithAlger I left VF earlier this year and not a word from them about taking the THG3000 doorstop back.

[HappyNomad]

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@Cynric wrote:

.@KeithAlger I left VF earlier this year and not a word from them about taking the THG3000 doorstop back.

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Vodafone say:  

“Broadband router return – If you have a Home Broadband router that needs returning to us, please get in touch by calling 08080 034 515, free from all UK landlines and mobiles or 191 from a Vodafone mobile.”

Presumably, Vodafone have no objection to an ex subscriber retaining the router  (for use as a paperweight or doorstop) but also presumably, the ex subscriber then assumes responsibility for its appropriate disposal. (Perhaps by calling Vodafone to arrange the eventual return of the router to them).

[clint_flick]

Hi

""or to provide source code!""

You would be amazed at just how quick the source code is available from the German arm of VodaFone.

If only the UK was as capable.

The link is from 2020 and must be a dead duck by now, however the invitation to download and share is a VodaFone first in this forum?

vbnt-j_vox3uk_19.2.203_1_20200124.tar.bz2

208 MB

0dc9c16e581a5622b18275a1b30596d58801a0763f6338f56947f31fef9d5b3

Please click on the following link to download the attachments: https://justshare.vodafone.com/message/cGoMa08MueRZt6vQRBKqEr

This email or download link can be forwarded to anyone.

The attachments are available until: Freitag, 31 Juli.