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The FCC has added all new foreign-made consumer routers to its Covered List, blocking their import and sale in the United States after a White House-led interagency review found they pose an unacceptable national security and public safety risk. U.S. officials said overseas-manufactured routers could be exploited to disrupt the economy, critical infrastructure, and national defense, and linked the concern to activity associated with Volt Typhoon, Flax Typhoon, and Salt Typhoon, which have targeted U.S. networks and infrastructure.
The restrictions apply to new devices rather than routers already authorized for sale, meaning existing products can continue to be imported, sold, and used for now. Foreign manufacturers may still seek approval, but must provide detailed disclosures on ownership, supply chains, software and firmware provenance, and any plans to shift critical component production to the United States. The move is expected to tighten availability of new router models and raise costs, while critics argue it does not solve broader router security problems such as insecure firmware, weak patching, compromised update systems, and supply-chain exposure that can persist regardless of where hardware is assembled.
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On 2026-05-09, the FCC extended temporary waivers allowing certain already authorized foreign-made consumer routers, drones, and drone components on the Covered List to keep receiving software and firmware updates until at least January 1, 2029. The agency said blocking patches could create cybersecurity, compatibility, and operational risks for millions of deployed devices, and also expanded the waiver to cover some Class II permissive changes.
By April 28, 2026, Amazon had reportedly obtained an exemption from the FCC's foreign-made router restrictions, allowing its Eero consumer routers and Leo low Earth orbit routers to continue being sold or operated in the U.S. The report said neither Amazon nor the FCC disclosed the criteria or conditions for the waiver.
By April 24, 2026, the FCC said its March 24 restrictions on new foreign-made consumer routers also apply to residential mobile hotspot devices and LTE/5G customer premises equipment using cellular connectivity. The agency said the clarification was not retroactive to previously authorized models and noted limited conditional approvals for some vendors through October 1, 2027.
By April 6, 2026, the FCC had proposed expanding its restrictions to prohibit the importation and marketing of previously authorized products from companies on its Covered List, including Huawei, Hikvision, Dahua, Hytera, and ZTE. The proposal would extend beyond routers to products such as mobile phones and cameras, while not affecting devices already owned by Americans.
In coverage published on March 26, 2026, the FCC's March 24 order was described as allowing software and firmware updates for already authorized routers only through at least March 1, 2027. The report said this raised concerns that many currently sold routers could stop receiving security patches after that date.
As part of the March 24, 2026 action, the FCC said already authorized routers may continue to be imported, sold, and used, while manufacturers may seek exemptions through extensive disclosures. It also granted conditional approval for certain routers used by the Department of War or DHS in drone systems and allowed UAS-related software and firmware updates through at least January 1, 2027.
On March 24, 2026, the FCC updated its Covered List to ban new foreign-made consumer routers from being imported into and sold in the United States. The agency said the move was based on supply-chain and security concerns, including prior abuse of such devices by groups such as Volt Typhoon, Flax Typhoon, and Salt Typhoon.
On March 20, 2026, a White House-led Executive Branch interagency body determined that consumer routers manufactured in foreign countries pose an unacceptable national security and public safety risk. The assessment cited potential impacts on the U.S. economy, critical infrastructure, national defense, and harm to U.S. persons.
On or before March 2, 2026, the FCC voted to end automatic blanket Section 214 authorizations for domestic carriers, saying the loophole could allow Covered List entities such as Huawei and ZTE to provide domestic interstate telecom services without individual review. The agency framed the move as a national security measure and said it was also considering revoking existing blanket authorizations and requiring approval before carriers interconnect with Covered List entities.
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The FCC issued new rules restricting routers produced in foreign countries unless they receive **Conditional Approval** from the Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security, according to discussion citing FCC documentation and the agency’s supply chain covered list. The policy was described as limiting use of foreign-made networking equipment while creating an exception process tied to U.S. government review and commitments around domestic manufacturing. The move drew criticism on the NANOG mailing list, where operators argued that few routers are truly manufactured in the United States and that assembly location does little to improve security compared with software provenance and supply-chain assurance. Participants also linked the policy debate to a recent U.S. law enforcement disruption of major IoT DDoS botnets that the Department of Justice called the world’s largest, crediting the FBI Alaska field office and network operators for helping dismantle infrastructure behind record-breaking attacks against victims worldwide.
Jun 29, 2026
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission granted large cable internet service providers a limited one-year waiver allowing manufacturers to replace certain parts in previously approved consumer routers without new certification. The waiver followed an NCTA request warning that the FCC’s earlier restrictions on foreign-made consumer routers could trigger shortages and supply-chain disruption, and it permits changes such as substrate materials and memory modules so existing models can stay in production. The FCC said the broader policy was driven by national security concerns, including evidence that routers have been used in hacking campaigns by actors including Chinese state-linked groups, while previously extending the deadline for software and firmware support on already approved devices until `2029-01-01`. The policy shift comes as scrutiny of router vendors intensifies, including a new Netgear counterclaim against TP-Link in Delaware federal court alleging false advertising over TP-Link’s portrayal of itself as an American company and its representations about product origin. Netgear argues TP-Link’s California reincorporation did not sever core ties to China-based leadership, R&D, and manufacturing, while TP-Link has accused Netgear of improperly linking it to cyber activity associated with the Typhoon threat groups. The dispute is unfolding alongside reviews by the Department of Defense, Commerce Department, FCC, FTC, and state attorneys general, underscoring how supply-chain security, vendor provenance, and router abuse in espionage campaigns are shaping U.S. broadband and device policy.
Jun 29, 2026
Multiple US federal agencies, including the Commerce, Justice, Defense, and Homeland Security departments, have backed a proposal to ban the sale of TP-Link routers in the United States. The move is driven by concerns that TP-Link, which controls a significant share of the US home router market, may still be subject to influence by the Chinese government, potentially exposing American users to surveillance risks. The proposal follows an investigation into the company's ties to China and comes amid heightened scrutiny of foreign technology firms over national security issues. Officials argue that mitigation measures short of a ban would not sufficiently address the perceived threat, although there is a possibility for TP-Link to provide guarantees that its hardware and software are developed independently of China. The company, which has established a US headquarters and claims to have separated from its Chinese parent, denies the allegations. The proposed ban could have sweeping implications for both consumers and businesses, echoing previous US actions against foreign technology providers such as Kaspersky Lab.
Jul 6, 2026