The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has implemented a ban on the sale of new foreign-made Wi-Fi routers, citing national security risks while granting conditional exemptions to Netgear and Amazon-owned Eero. The order, first announced on March 23, prevents the authorization of any new networking hardware that involves foreign manufacturing, assembly, design, or development. CNET reported that the measure is intended to secure domestic supply chains against foreign interference following a series of high-profile cyberattacks.
While the ban technically applies to any hardware produced outside the United States, the FCC has established a process for manufacturers to apply for exemptions. Netgear and Eero are currently the only major consumer brands to receive "Conditional Approval," allowing them to continue selling new models despite their reliance on manufacturing facilities in Asia. Netgear told CNET that while its routers are produced in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan, its status as a U.S.-founded company with domestic headquarters assisted in its compliance efforts.
Impact on TP-Link, Asus, and Other Major Brands
The new regulations significantly impact the broader consumer networking market, where an estimated 60% of routers sold in the U.S. are manufactured in China. Brands including TP-Link, Asus, Linksys, D-Link, and Google Nest are currently subject to the ban. These manufacturers cannot receive FCC authorization for new hardware until they either secure an exemption or move their production processes to domestic soil. TP-Link, which has manufactured its U.S. products in Vietnam since 2018, indicated it is planning to establish U.S.-based manufacturing facilities in response to the policy shift.
Domestic production remains rare in the industry, with Starlink being a notable exception. Because Starlink routers are manufactured in Texas, they are not subject to the new restrictions. Conversely, brands like Linksys, which is owned by the Taiwanese multinational Foxconn, and Synology face immediate hurdles in bringing new Wi-Fi 7 or future Wi-Fi 8 equipment to the American market without significant structural changes to their supply chains.
Security Context and Firmware Support Deadlines
The FCC's decision follows several major cybersecurity incidents, including the Salt Typhoon attack that exploited vulnerabilities in Cisco routers to breach U.S. internet service providers like AT&T and Verizon. FCC Chair Brendan Carr stated that the commission is acting to protect critical infrastructure from hardware "directly implicated" in these campaigns. For consumers with existing hardware, the FCC clarified that routers already in use will not be confiscated; however, their long-term viability depends on the availability of security patches.
A critical provision in the FCC's public notice states that routers authorized before the ban may continue to receive software and firmware updates only until January 1, 2029. After this deadline, manufacturers that have not received an exemption may be prohibited from issuing updates, potentially leaving millions of devices vulnerable to new exploits. Security researchers from Forescout warned that once the update pipeline is severed, the risk to home networks increases as new vulnerabilities are discovered that can no longer be patched by the vendor.
As the industry adjusts to these regulatory requirements, informed enthusiasts should anticipate a slower release cycle for new hardware from non-exempt brands. The FCC's current stance suggests that the "Conditional Approval" list will be the primary indicator of which brands can sustain a presence in the U.S. market over the coming years.
