The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it will not certify every new consumer router not made domestically in late March, essentially banning the import of every new commercial and residential router model into the U.S. The agency made this move in response to the increasing threat of supply chain attacks, which “pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.” However, it also said that affected brands can apply for a “Conditional Approval” from the Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security, with Netgear being the first manufacturer to receive this coveted exemption.
According to the FCC’s covered list, the following Netgear models can be imported in the U.S. until October 1, 2027:
- Nighthawk consumer mesh, mobile, and standalone routers (R, RAX, RAXE, RS, MK, MR, M, and MH series)
- Orbi consumer mesh, mobile, and standalone routers (RBK, RBE, RBR, RBRE, LBR, LBK, and CBK series)
- Cable gateways (CAX series)
- Cable modems (CM series)
Some of these are included in our list of the best Wi-Fi routers and best budget routers. Another company, Adtran Inc., also received conditional approval for its Service Delivery Gateway class router.
It’s unclear how Netgear secured this exemption, especially as the DoW or DHS requires “a detailed, time-bound plan to establish or expand manufacturing in the United States for the router for which the applicant is seeking Conditional Approval in order for that device to qualify for FCC authorization” and “a description of committed and planned capital expenditures, financing, or other investments dedicated to U.S.-based manufacturing and assembly over the next 1-5 years, including expected timelines and milestones.”
The Verge notes that when a publicly traded company like Netgear plans a major investment, like constructing a new production line and supply chain, it’s usually required to disclose these plans to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). However, the San Jose, California-based company, which produces routers in China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Mexico, among other countries, did not mention anything about onshoring its manufacturing operations in its filings, raising questions about what its plans are and how it secured the exemption. Furthermore, the company said in its SEC disclosure that “So long as the conditional approval is maintained, NETGEAR can launch new consumer routers and update the software on existing consumer routers indefinitely.” The FCC cited a "specific determination" from the Pentagon that Netgear's devices were not a risk to U.S. national security. "“We reviewed the FCC's public guidelines for conditional approval, submitted an application that followed those guidelines, and received approval on our application," a Netgear spokesperson told Tom's Hardware.
This does not mean that consumers should replace their existing routers with Netgear-branded ones immediately, especially as the FCC’s ban will only impact new models. While Netgear just happened to be the first company to obtain a conditional approval from the U.S. government, other manufacturers are confident that they can receive that as well. Asus and TP-Link have both released statements to that effect soon after the FCC released its directive, and it just might be a matter of time before they can continue releasing new models for consumers in the U.S., at least for now.
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