TL;DR
- The FCC has begun granting conditional approvals to certain Wi-Fi routers, allowing them to launch into the US market without posing security risks.
- Netgear is among the first to receive this approval, with its routers authorized for sale in the US at least until next year.
- The broader policy is not changing, meaning new Wi-Fi routers launched in the US must pass a national security review before entering the market.
In March 2026, the FCC announced that all new Wi-Fi routers manufactured abroad will not be able to gain approval for release in the US market unless they pass strict government controls. Now, the regulator is easing that broad crackdown for some companies, granting its first “conditional approval” to select routers.
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The first batch of approved Wi-Fi routers includes multiple Nighthawk and Orbi models from Netgear, as well as service level routers from Adtran.
According to the FCC’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security, These routers have been reviewed and do not pose unacceptable risks to users, so they are exempt from restrictions.
Netgear welcomed the announcement and said it is now the first retail router brand to receive this approval.
“This aligns with our security-first approach, and we believe the actions the FCC is taking will help ensure the security of its home networking and digital gateway products,” Netgear noted in its report. advertisement.
“The US government has designated us as a trusted supplier of consumer routers to Americans, and we have no reason to believe that will change. The industry as a whole is in the early stages of navigating and understanding these regulatory changes and their impact, and we will share updates as new information becomes available,” Netgear added in its FAQ Section.
While Netgear appears to be safe, the broader policy has not changed. The United States is not reversing the crackdown on routers, and new router models will need to obtain this conditional approval to enter the US market. Existing routers and previously approved models are not yet affected.
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