USB Type-C, the most exciting boring connector in the industry right now.
Andrew Cunningham
After the European Union (EU) announced that many consumer technology devices using cable charging would require USB-C by 2024, three U.S. senators are seeking similar legislation.
In a letter sent on Thursday [PDF]Senators Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) called on Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to look at a strategy that would require universal technology standards. consumption.
Senators did not mention USB-C, but cited upcoming EU legislation that will require smartphones, digital cameras, e-readers, headphones, laptops and some other high-tech consumer products to charge. use USB-C cable.
At the time of writing, Secretary Raimondo has not responded to the letter.
Senators called on the Secretary of Commerce “to coordinate with the offices and agencies of the Department of Commerce to develop a comprehensive plan that protects both consumers and the environment by addressing the lack of a common charging standard in the United States.” .
Financial and environmental burden
The letter with a forceful wording focused on “the failure of the consumer electronics industry to set uniform standards for charging accessories” and the subsequent “economic and environmental damage”.
He also noted that EU data found that by 2020, 38% of EU consumers had it at least once when they tried to charge their phone and the only chargers around were incompatible.
This experience is ubiquitous for Apple iPhone users who depend on the proprietary Lightning port. Apple is the best-known opponent of mandatory USB-C charging in the EU. He said the policy would limit innovation and create more confusion for customers and e-waste as Lightning chargers and accessories become obsolete.
Markey, Sanders, and Warren said these arguments in a precautionary manner, describing the “planned obsolescence” of chargers as a financial burden on consumers.
The letter says:
“Innovation should benefit consumers. It should not take its toll, charge them with incompatible accessories and force them to buy different charging equipment for each device they own.”
A health problem
Senators urged government intervention, also framing the debate as a health issue.
They pointed to new products that make specialized chargers obsolete (looking at you, 30-pin connector) and are thrown away. EU data show that shippers account for up to 11,000 tonnes of e-waste per year, the letter said.
Announcements
The senators wrote:
“When electronics are not disposed of properly, e-waste can spread toxins into the water, pollute the soil and degrade the air we breathe.”
The EU laid the groundwork, but obstacles remain in the US
In addition to using EU data to argue for Raimondo, senators urged him to follow the example of EU lawmakers “by developing a comprehensive strategy to address unnecessary consumer costs, mitigate e-waste and restore common sense and security in the process of buying new electronic products “.
Still, there’s a long way to go before you see USB-C or any forced charging solution on consumer devices. It took the EU 10 years to pass its legislation, which is not expected to come into force until 2024. Along the way, it faced strong opposition from others such as Apple.
Meanwhile, the debate over a standard charger policy is beginning to take shape. Markey, Sanders, and Warren were not specific about which technology products should affect any preferred standard or load standard. Nor did they claim that a law should be passed but rather a kind of inter-agency discussion.
Similar to the EU’s universal collection policy and the fight for the right to redress in the US, common US collection legislation would likely face opposition from companies and political groups who believe the government should ‘be less involved.
However, the right to repair is broader, as it requires technology vendors to share and make available documents and tools to repair their products and seeks to repeal federal law to make it widely effective. (It is also worth mentioning notable moves in this space, including New York State that approved the first bill for the right to repair electronics).
If the government seeks to standardize USB-C in some way, it is useful that many electronic devices have already adopted it willingly. Even Apple is testing USB-C charging for iPhones.
But it’s hard to ignore the argument that universal charging could stifle new charging techniques. While the EU said it would change its policy if a new charging technology were better for consumers than USB-C, there is clear bureaucracy in this approach.
Also, knowing that any major innovation can become a selling point for your rivals could discourage R&D.
Depending on the products targeted by a common charger policy, a standard charger could complicate matters for companies charging a premium for faster and more ubiquitous USB-C. Similarly, it could affect products that take power over patented technology or alternatives like Micro USB, which may be bulkier and slower but cost less.
Regardless of the obstacles, senators believe that the US should follow the example of the EU, which “acted prudently in the public interest”.