FCC imposes sweeping ban on foreign-made routers, affecting all new models

“…The prohibition applies to both US and foreign companies that produce routers outside the US. Foreign production includes “any major stage of the process through which the device is made, including manufacturing, assembly, design, and development.”

“This action means that new models of foreign-produced routers will no longer be eligible for marketing or sale in the US,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr wrote on X. “The determination included an exemption for routers that the Department of War (DoW) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have granted ‘Conditional Approval’ after finding that such device or devices do not pose such unacceptable risks.”

Router makers seeking conditional approvals must submit, among other things, a “justification on why any foreign manufactured router is not currently manufactured in the United States, including why these foreign sources were selected and whether alternatives exist,” and a “detailed, time-bound plan to establish or expand manufacturing in the United States.”…”

~ Full article…