USB Type-C, the most exciting boring connector in the industry right now.
Andrew Cunningham
After the European Union (EU) announced that a number of consumer technology devices using cable charging will require USB-C by 2024, three US senators are seeking a similar standard.
In a letter sent on Thursday [PDF]Senators Edward Markie (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) asked Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to look for a strategy that would require universal charging standards in consumer technology.
Senators did not mention USB-C, but cited upcoming EU legislation that would require smartphones, digital cameras, electronic readers, headphones, laptops and some other consumer technology products with cable charging to use USB-C.
At the time of writing, Secretary Raimondo has not responded to the letter.
The senators asked the Secretary of Commerce “to coordinate with the offices and agencies of the Department of Commerce to develop a comprehensive plan that will protect both consumers and the environment by addressing the lack of a common US charging standard.”
Financial and environmental burden
The strongly worded letter focuses on the “failure of the consumer electronics industry to establish uniform standards for charging accessories” and the subsequent “economic and environmental damage”.
He also pointed to EU data that in 2020, 38% of EU consumers had at least one attempt to charge their phone and the only chargers around it were incompatible.
This experience is ubiquitous for Apple iPhone users depending on their own Lightning port. Apple is the most notorious opponent of mandatory USB-C charging in the EU. He argues that the policy will limit innovation and create more confusion for customers and e-waste as Lightning chargers and accessories become obsolete.
Markie, Sanders and Warren made these arguments as a precaution, describing the “planned obsolescence” of chargers as a financial burden on consumers.
The letter reads:
“Innovation must benefit consumers. It must not come at their expense, burden them with incompatible accessories and force them to buy different charging equipment for each device they own.”
Health concerns
Senators called for government intervention, calling the debate a health issue.
They pointed to new products that make specialized chargers obsolete (looking at you, a 30-pin connector) and are being discarded. EU figures show that chargers account for approximately 11,000 tonnes of e-waste a year, the letter said.
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The senators wrote:
“When electronics are not disposed of properly, e-waste can spread toxins into the water, contaminate the soil and break down the air we breathe.”
The EU has laid the groundwork, but obstacles remain in the United States
In addition to using EU data to present her argument to Raimondo, senators asked her to follow the example of EU lawmakers, “by developing a comprehensive strategy to tackle unnecessary consumer spending, reduce e-waste and restore common sense, and security of the process of purchasing new electronics. “
However, there will be a long way to go before we see USB-C or any charging solution standardized in custom widgets. It took the EU 10 years to pass its legislation, which is not expected to take effect by 2024. Along the way, it has faced a lot of opposition from Apple like Apple.
Meanwhile, the debate over a standard charger policy is beginning to take shape in the United States. Brands, Sanders and Warren were not specific about which technology products should meet each standard or preferred charging standard.
The senators also did not propose a law, but rather some kind of interdepartmental discussion. Like the EU’s universal charging policy and the fight for the right to repair in the United States, general US charging legislation is likely to face opposition from business and political groups, who believe the government should be less involved. (It is also worth mentioning the remarkable movements in this area, including the state of New York, which adopted the first bill for the right to repair electronics.)
If the government is trying to standardize USB-C in some way, it is useful that many electronics have already accepted it voluntarily. It is reported that even Apple is testing USB-C charging for iPhone.
But it’s hard to ignore the argument that universal charging can stifle new charging techniques. Although the EU has said it will change its policy if new charging technology is better for USB users, there is obvious bureaucracy for this approach.
In addition, the knowledge that any major innovation can become a selling point for your rivals can demotivate R&D.
Depending on which products the common charger standard is aimed at, this can complicate matters for companies that charge a premium for fast, more ubiquitous USB-C. In the same way, it can affect products that take control of their own technology or alternatives such as Micro USB, which may be bulkier and slower, but cost less.
Despite the obstacles, senators believe the US government should follow the EU’s example of “acting wisely in the public interest”.
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