In an announcement today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned the import of Wi-Fi routers manufactured outside the United States, but with one pretty important exception.
Citing an “unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States and to the safety of the American people,” the FCC has banned foreign-made routers, both those used for Wi-Fi and those used to manage wired connections.
He FCC explains his position, stating:
Recently, state- and non-state-sponsored malicious cyber attackers have increasingly exploited vulnerabilities in foreign-produced small and home office routers to carry out direct attacks against American civilians in their homes. From disrupting network connectivity to enabling spying on local networks and intellectual property theft, foreign-made routers present unacceptable risks to Americans. Additionally, foreign-produced routers were directly implicated in the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks that targeted critical U.S. communications, energy, transportation, and water infrastructure. Routers in the United States must have reliable supply chains so that we are not giving foreign actors a built-in backdoor into American homes, businesses, critical infrastructure, and emergency services.
The potential impact here could be significant, as trying to find a Wi-Fi router designed and manufactured in the US is a difficult task. The most popular brands, such as the dominant TP-Link, are made in China, and even Google’s Nest Wifi series is made abroad.
Reuters notes that it is estimated that about 60% of home routers in the US are made by Chinese companies.
The good news here is that this ban does not affect the Wi-Fi router already in your home. It also does not apply to existing routers that have FCC radio authorization, The edge grades. A similar ban on foreign drones has a growing list of exemptions, our sister site dronedj points out. The updates for these devices won’t last forever, however, as the current rules will only last until March 1, 2027 (via Engadget).
Thus, although new models cannot be launched, specific products that are already on the market can continue to be imported. For future new releases, router brands can get “conditional approval” or simply stop selling those products in the US.
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