This Ban Does Not Include Cellphones Nor Existing Products

The FCC seems to have learned from their recent blanket ban of foreign made routers and while they are doing something similar with Wi-Fi hotspots it will not be quite as confusing.  The ban will only apply to new hotspot products released by non-US companies, it won’t mean products that are currently available will be removed from shelves.  That makes it somewhat less confusing that the original wording of the router ban, which has undergone some modification after it was first announced.  There are now exceptions to some consumer routers models, over and above the D-Link exception. 

On the other hand, there is no evidence that the router ban is making anyone safer.  The FCC has extended their ban to include “consumer-grade portable or mobile MiFi Wi-Fi or hotspot devices” very quickly and it is unclear if they ban will extend to even more technology.  Hopefully calmer heads will prevail and they will wait to see if their bans are beneficial or just another piece of security theatre.