In a shocking move, the Federal Communications Commission just banned the sale of any new Wi-Fi routers that are not US-made, citing national security.
Late on Monday afternoon, the FCC announced the order, based on a White House determination that foreign-made routers introduce “supply chain vulnerabilities” that hackers and cyberspies can exploit. Specifically, the commission updated its “covered list,” which acts as a blacklist of telecom equipment deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to US national security. It now includes “all consumer-grade routers produced in foreign countries.”
However, the FCC stresses, “This action does not affect any previously purchased consumer-grade routers. Consumers can continue to use any router they have already lawfully purchased or acquired.”
“Nor does it prevent retailers from continuing to sell, import, or market router models approved previously through the FCC’s equipment authorization process,” the commission adds.
Still, the order blocks vendors from selling any new Wi-Fi routers that are manufactured, developed, or designed outside the US in a major way. Hence, a new Wi-Fi router designed in the US, but produced abroad, or vice versa, would be banned.
“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 writes on X.
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The FCC is implementing the ban through its equipment authorization process, which certifies routers, smartphones, and video game consoles for sale in the US. “New devices on the Covered List, such as foreign-made consumer-grade routers, are prohibited from receiving FCC authorization and are therefore prohibited from being imported for use or sale in the US,” it says.
The order is shocking because it goes beyond merely banning routers from TP-Link, a Chinese-affiliated brand that US officials claim poses a security risk. The FCC issued today’s order citing a “national security determination” issued by the Trump administration on Friday. The four-page document says: “Routers in the United States must have trusted supply chains so we are not providing foreign actors with potential built-in backdoors to American homes, businesses, critical infrastructure, and emergency services.”
The document doesn’t mention specific evidence of a deliberate backdoor in any existing products. Still, it cites how hackers, including Chinese state-sponsored groups, have exploited vulnerabilities in consumer-grade routers—which are predominantly manufactured in foreign countries—to host their malicious activities. “Foreign-made routers were also involved in the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks targeting vital US infrastructure,” says the FCC, alluding to major telecommunication hacks suspected to have come from China.
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The resulting ban could ensnare all the major router providers, including US-based Netgear, since many routers are made in China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. However, the FCC says router makers can secure an exemption from the Pentagon or the Department of Homeland Security. The application calls for the vendor to justify why the product isn’t made in the US, along with a “detailed, time-bound plan to establish or expand manufacturing in the United States for the router for which the applicant is seeking Conditional Approval.”
Netgear and TP-Link didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. In the meantime, the FCC has published a dedicated FAQ about the order.
The agency did the same for foreign-made drones late last year.
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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