Federal Communications Commission (FCC) prohibited routers manufactured in other nations due to claims that they “represent an unacceptable threat to the national security of the United States.” We may have jumped the gun, as the FCC is not entirely banning them, particularly if they are crucial for military functions.
Recently, the FCC released an updated public announcement concerning the foreign-made router prohibition. The notice indicates that Netgear (an American-based company that produces its products in locations such as Vietnam and Thailand) has received a “Conditional Approval” to keep selling in the United States. While the notice does not specify the exact rationale, it mentions that Conditional Approval may be granted to any firm that requests it as long as it manufactures uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and UAS “critical components.” Naturally, the company must also demonstrate that its routers do not pose substantial threats to national security. We can reasonably deduce that Netgear accomplished this not only due to a convincing argument but also because its routers are integral to UAS functionality.
Given that Netgear may have attained this advantage partly because its routers facilitate UAV control, one might speculate that a stipulation of the Conditional Approval is that Netgear is limited to selling routers exclusively to U.S. government agencies. However, this is not accurate. As per the public notice, Netgear is also permitted to market consumer-level mesh, mobile, and standalone routers in the Orbi and Nighthawk series (which are among the best budget routers available on Amazon), along with cable gateways and modems.