TL;DR:<p><i>Describe, if the device permits third-party software or firmware installation, what mechanisms are provided by the manufacturer to permit integration of such functions while ensuring that the RF parameters of the device cannot be operated outside its authorization for operation in the US. In the description include what controls and&#x2F;or agreements are in place with providers of third-party functionality to ensure the devices’ underlying RF parameters are unchanged and how the manufacturer verifies the functionality.</i><p>This sounds like it permits open source drivers and OSs, as long as the hardware enforces FCC compliance.<p>However, I see a problem with the &quot;FCC&quot; in &quot;FCC compliance&quot;. This rule doesn&#x27;t sound good for world-roaming WiFi adapters, i.e. ones which are validated to physically work in multiple regulatory regimens and try to comply with current local regulations simply by not transmitting on frequencies not allowed everywhere in the world until they connect to some AP working on this frequency. Obviously, the assumption is that APs are compliant.<p>AFAIK at least Atheros makes such adapters (for laptops, phones, etc) and the channel limiting logic is implemented in drivers, which are open source for some platforms. I wonder how are they going to deal with such regulations.<p>Not that this would be the first time radio regulations screw mobile users, btw. You may think that even if your laptop&#x27;s WiFi card is locked to channels allowed in one country, you can get a USB dongle from another country and use it there. Not that easily. Some cards made by Atheros (dunno about other vendors) are validated only for operation in certain regulatory domains and this information is stored in EEPROM on the card. Their Linux driver reads the country code from the card and passes it to the wireless stack, which in turn immediately locks out all frequencies and power levels disallowed in this country.<p>When I asked about this behavior, the WiFi stack maintainer&#x27;s response was that they treat each region-locked card in the system as a &quot;hint&quot; that the system may be operating in this region and try to comply with this region&#x27;s regulations just to be safe. Madness and paranoia. This maintainer was an employee of one WiFi hardware vendor.<p>I ended up replacing my laptop&#x27;s WiFi card with one whose drivers are based on independent reverse-engineering effort, simply because they didn&#x27;t bother passing regulatory codes to the WiFi stack and messing up USB dongles.