Can the ISP load firmware onto your modem? I'm on Cox in the US (same ISP as in TFA) and you can bring your own modem, but Cox will remotely update the firmware.
No, they can't. They don't have any access at all to your device.
But as jeduardo already said, you can fetch updates from the device manufacturer.
The mentioned Fritz!Box from AVM has automatic updates and is known for delivering them for a really long time. My 12 year old repeater from that brand is still receiving security updates from time to time.
Not really as far as I know. Providers in Germany have more or less standardized on Fritz!Box from AVM and the router comes with the admin password available. Updates are then fetched from upstream AVM.
But the key point here is device independence - by law, providers need to give you all information required to establish a connection to them. This allows you to run a Linux or BSD box as a router should you wish to. It somehow makes up for the slow broadband speeds you can get.
Are there Linux or BSD boxes with ADSL or DOCSIS physical layers present? I use a separate modem and router, as do most people in the US that are not renting equipment from their ISP.
