The FCC’s Router Ban Is About to Become a ‘Mess.’ Here’s What It Means for Your Home Network – CNET
In an unprecedented move, the Federal Communications Commission announced on March 23 that it will be banning the sale of new foreign-made Wi-Fi routers going forward, citing “unacceptable risks” to national security.
The ban doesn’t apply to any existing routers that the FCC has already authorized, so you don’t need to rush out and replace your router immediately. If you were thinking about buying a new router soon, I’d hold off until we learn more about how the ban shakes out.
The order currently applies to any new models “produced in foreign countries.” Router manufacturers can apply for an exemption, but so far, none have been granted “Conditional Approval” on the FCC’s website.
This is a monumental development for the domestic Wi-Fi router market. With the exception of newer Starlink routers, nearly every router available for purchase in this country is at least partially manufactured outside the US, including TP-Link, Asus and Netgear. An estimated 60% of routers in the US are manufactured in China.
According to a list of FAQs published by the FCC, a router will be considered foreign-made if “any major stage of the process through which the device is made, including manufacturing, assembly, design and development” occurs outside the US.
| Operator | Verizon (prior to Frontier acquisition) |
Comcast | Charter | AT&T (prior to Lumen transaction) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top vendors | 1. Arcadyan 2. Wistron 3. Netgear |
1. Arris 2. Netgear 3. Technicolor |
1. Askey 2. Sagemcom 3. Netgear |
1. Humax 2. Nokia 3. Netgear |
