content: The concept is more difficult than what you're making it out to be. If you read the article, you'd know that.  This is about spacing the VERY limited radio spectrum (WARNING: PDF) which non-military entities are allowed to use.  Let's say you buy a router, hack it and change your radio frequencies, and it overlaps with your neighbor's garage doors, opening and closing them all day... Or interferes with emergency response radio communications to the point that they can no longer talk when around your neighborhood... Or your hacked router interferes with the electronics taking vital measurements and keeping people alive in your local hospital... Some WRT firmware allowed users to tweak their radio frequencies into unregulated areas, or up the power output of their radio frequencies, doing just this. The FCC has a history of backing users in terms of using personal router firmware, but they must assure that the limited radio spectrum remains separated. I can't really blame them on this front... EDIT: Added links and fixed some phone-typos.