What Could the FCC Router Ban Mean for You?
The US government is banning the import of new routers manufactured abroad, meaning consumers will no longer be able to purchase devices from many popular manufacturers. On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added all foreign-made consumer routers to its “Denied Equipment List” —communications equipment that poses an “unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the safety of United States citizens.” The agency specifically cited the use of foreign-made routers in the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks.
But the fact is, the vast majority of routers are manufactured abroad. So what’s your choice?
What does the FCC router ban include?
A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling bans the import of “all consumer routers manufactured abroad.” While no specific companies or devices are covered by this ban, it’s estimated that at least 60% of home routers in the US are made in China, and almost none are manufactured here, with the exception of the Starlink Wi-Fi router. ( The ban also applies to routers designed by US companies but manufactured abroad.)
Exceptions to the ban may emerge in the future, as the federal government will grant “conditional approval” to companies that provide detailed information about their operations , including corporate structure, manufacturing, and supply chains, as well as plans to “establish or expand” manufacturing in the United States. However, for now, all of this remains uncertain.
This isn’t the first time the federal government has banned devices made by companies with ties to foreign countries, including routers. Late last year, several agencies, including the Department of Commerce, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Defense, proposed banning future sales of TP-Link routers following a review initiated during the Biden administration. Other bans include sales of antivirus software developed by the Russian company Kaspersky Lab and telecommunications devices from Huawei and ZTE. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also recently banned foreign-made drones for similar security reasons.
What does this ban mean for your router?
The FCC’s actions don’t affect existing routers, so if you have a foreign-made device, you can continue to use it as usual. If you’re planning to purchase a new router now , there’s no need to rush—retailers will also be able to continue selling and importing all routers previously approved for sale through the FCC’s equipment authorization process.
However, because the ban applies to most companies that make routers purchased by American consumers, you won’t be able to upgrade your device to a new model from foreign manufacturers like TP-Link and Netgear in the future unless those models receive conditional approval from the FCC.