The Federal Communications Commission has banned new consumer internet routers manufactured outside the US, citing national security concerns. The ban doesn\u2019t affect any routers already in American homes or currently on sale in the US, but all new routers aimed at the consumer market will need to be approved.<\/p>\n
While the headline is that foreign-made consumer routers are banned, manufacturers can apply for exemptions. There’s no need to throw out your router, and you’ll still find plenty of mesh systems on the store shelves. But what does this mean for you?<\/p>\n
Why Are Foreign-Made Routers Banned?<\/p>\n
\u201cMalicious actors have exploited security gaps in foreign-made routers to attack American households, disrupt networks, enable espionage, and facilitate intellectual property theft,\u201d the FCC wrote<\/a>. \u201cForeign-made routers were also involved in the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon<\/a> cyberattacks targeting vital US infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n Foreign-made consumer routers were added to the Covered List<\/a>, which details equipment and services \u201cdeemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n Bogdan Botezatu, director of Threat Research at cybersecurity firm Bitdefender<\/a>, says this ban is a step to harden the cybersecurity readiness of US households, given ongoing geopolitical tensions.<\/p>\n \u201cConsumer routers sit at the edge of every home network, which makes them an attractive target and a strategic risk if compromised at scale,\u201d he says. Asked whether he thinks the risk is real, Botezatu says the risk is real, though there\u2019s no easy way to prove intent. \u201c[Internet of Things] devices, including routers, are a weak point across the internet.\u201d<\/p>\n Which Routers Are Banned?<\/p>\n The ban only affects the sale of new Wi-Fi routers aimed at consumer households. The ban does not apply to existing FCC-approved routers on sale in the US. Previously purchased routers already in use in homes across the country are also fine and are not part of the ban, according to the FCC\u2019s FAQ<\/a>. These routers can continue to be sold, used, and updated with new firmware.<\/p>\n Any new router manufactured outside the US now requires FCC approval before it can be imported, marketed, or sold in the US. This includes routers from US companies that are manufactured overseas, which is the vast majority of the market right now.<\/p>\n What Does Foreign-Made Mean?<\/p>\n This is decidedly murky. The ban is concerned with \u201cconsumer-grade\u201d routers and could include any that are designed or manufactured outside the US or manufactured by companies that are not completely US-owned and operated. All the major players in the market, including Netgear, TP-Link, Asus, Amazon\u2019s Eero, Google\u2019s Nest, Synology, Linksys, and Ubiquiti, fall under the definition. As do most, if not all, of the routers supplied by internet service providers in the US.<\/p>\n Just like the recent federal drone ban<\/a>, the router only applies only to new routers, but manufacturers can apply for Conditional Approval<\/a> from the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. Applications must include details about ownership, board membership, and country of origin for components, IP ownership, design, assembly, and firmware, among other things. The final section requests details of the applicant\u2019s US manufacturing and onshoring plan, so there\u2019s a clear push to persuade companies to commit to making their routers in the US.<\/p>\n \u201cNo routers or manufacturers have been granted a Conditional Approval so far, but as the process gets underway, we expect approvals to be granted in a timely manner,\u201d an FCC spokesperson tells WIRED.<\/p>\n What About Foreign-Made Components?<\/p>\n Well, the FCC provides some clarification in its FAQ<\/a> (\u201ccovered\u201d here means banned):<\/p>\n \u201cNon-‘covered’ devices do not become \u2018covered\u2019 simply because they contain a ‘covered’ component part, unless the ‘covered’ component part is a modular transmitter under the FCC\u2019s rules,\u201d it says. \u201cTherefore, a router produced in the United States is not considered \u2018covered\u2019 equipment solely because it contains one or more foreign-made components.\u201d<\/p>\n Manufacturers importing components from China but assembling them in the US will presumably be OK, though it\u2019s far from clear. \u201cApplicants will need to be able to have sufficient evidence that the routers were not produced in a foreign country to make this certification, but there is no specific documentation or evidence required,\u201d according to the FCC.<\/p>\n Let’s look at the big three US router brands and see how they’re affected.<\/p>\n Will TP-Link Be Banned?<\/p>\n Since all of its routers are made overseas, TP-Link will have to apply for Conditional Approval or spin up manufacturing in the US to sell any new routers. Estimates vary, but TP-Link\u2019s US consumer router market share is somewhere around 35 percent, with Netgear and Asus accounting for another 25 percent or so.<\/p>\n The US Commerce, Defense, and Justice departments have reportedly been investigating and considering a ban on TP-Link routers<\/a> for more than a year over concerns about the company\u2019s links to China. No ban has been enacted until now, but Texas attorney general Ken Paxton sued TP-Link<\/a> in February, claiming the company allows the Chinese Communist Party to access American consumers\u2019 devices. Detractors have also criticized perceived predatory pricing, claiming TP-Link flooded the US market with a wide range of affordable routers to establish dominance.<\/p>\n TP-Link has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and claims it has divested from its Chinese roots and is now headquartered in the US with the bulk of manufacturing in Vietnam. TP-Link\u2019s cofounder and CEO, Jeffrey Chao, recently applied for permanent US residency through President Trump\u2019s Gold Card program, according to the Times of India<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cVirtually all routers are made outside the United States, including those produced by US-based companies like TP-Link, which manufactures its products in Vietnam,\u201d a spokesperson from TP-Link tells WIRED. \u201cIt appears that the entire router industry will be impacted by the FCC\u2019s announcement concerning new devices not previously authorized by the FCC.\u201d<\/p>\n TP-Link is a privately owned company and not publicly listed on any stock exchange. Chao and his wife, Hillary, are listed as the company’s sole owners.<\/p>\n Will Netgear Be Banned?<\/p>\n While it is a US-founded and headquartered company, Netgear\u2019s routers are manufactured abroad, mostly in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan, so it will have to apply for Conditional Approval. The company has moved away from China in recent years. Netgear has been lobbying<\/a> the government on \u201ccybersecurity and strategic competition with China.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe commend the administration and the FCC for their action toward a safer digital future for Americans,\u201d a Netgear spokesperson tells WIRED. \u201cHome routers and mesh systems are critical to national security and consumer protection, and today\u2019s decision is a step forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Netgear is a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq, mostly owned by institutional investors, including BlackRock and Vanguard. The company\u2019s stock rose<\/a> on news of the ban, suggesting that many investors believe it won\u2019t be hit too hard.<\/p>\n Will Asus Be Banned?<\/p>\n Asus primarily makes its routers in Taiwan, though it has production facilities in China and works with several third-party manufacturers. Recent tariff pressures led the company to branch out to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico, and the Czech Republic, but the bulk of its routers still come from Taiwan or China. Asus will have to apply for Conditional Approval to sell new routers. The company did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.<\/p>\n The company is listed on the Taiwanese Stock Exchange and is mostly owned by public shareholders. The ban doesn\u2019t appear to have impacted its stock price.<\/p>\n Are Any Routers Manufactured in the US?<\/p>\n The only routers I know of that are manufactured in the US are some Starlink Wi-Fi routers, which are primarily made in Texas. Starlink is part of Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, but many of the components in these routers come from East Asia.<\/p>\n Botezatu says what matters more than geography is the security model behind the product. Companies that invest in \u201clong-term firmware support, vulnerabilitgy management, and built-in protection layers\u201d offer stronger security.<\/p>\n How Will the Router Ban Impact Ordinary Folks?<\/p>\n It\u2019s not entirely clear, but it probably won\u2019t have a huge immediate impact. There is already a wide range of Wi-Fi 7 routers<\/a> and mesh systems<\/a> on the market that will continue to be sold\u2014they enable speeds well in excess of what most people need at home. Whether companies spin up manufacturing in the US or find other ways to satisfy government agencies that their wares are not a security risk, the result is likely to be higher prices for consumers.<\/p>\n “This ruling has the potential to significantly disrupt the US consumer router market,” Brandon Butler, a research manager of Network Infrastructure and Services at IDC tells WIRED. \u201cIn the near term, much will depend on how quickly conditional waivers are processed. Most vendors are likely to pursue them, but any delays could constrain supply and create upward pressure on pricing.\u201d<\/p>\n