FCC bans foreign-made routers as ‘national security risk’

The FCC moved to ban foreign products Wi-Fi routersaccording to A Fact sheet Released Monday afternoon.

The ban includes “all consumer routers produced in foreign countries.” Router manufacturers can apply for an exemption, but so far, none have been given conditional approval for this. Federal Communications Commission website.

This is a disruptive development for the Wi-Fi router market in the United States. Almost every router available for purchase in this country is manufactured at least partially outside the United States, including… TP-Link, Asus and We change.

according to List of frequently asked questions Published by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a router will be considered foreign-made if “any major phase of the process by which the device is manufactured, including manufacturing, assembly, design, and development” occurs outside the United States. The ban does not apply to any existing routers previously permitted by the FCC.

“I welcome the Executive Branch’s national security decision, and I am pleased that the FCC has now added routers produced abroad that were found to pose an unacceptable national security risk to the FCC’s covered list,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement.

That doesn’t mean you have to replace your current router — the FCC has made clear that doesn’t apply to previously purchased routers — but you won’t be able to buy new routers that the FCC didn’t already allow before today’s ban.

TP-Link specifically has been in the US government’s crosshairs for more than a year, due to its ties to China, with more than half a dozen US departments and agencies. He reportedly supports the ban At the end of 2025. But today’s FCC action goes far beyond TP-Link and will affect almost every router company.

CNET reached out to the FCC, Asus, D-Link, Eero, Linksys, Nest, Razer, Synology and TP-Link for comment, but representatives did not immediately respond.

“We commend the administration and the FCC for their work toward a safer digital future for Americans,” a Netgear representative told CNET in an email. “As a US-founded and headquartered company with a legacy of American innovation, Netgear has long invested in security-first design, transparent practices, and adherence to government regulations, and we will continue to do so.”

We will continue to update this story as we gather more information.