banned consumer-grade routers manufactured in overseas nations by various brands. Some companies were not impacted. For instance, Netgear obtained an exemption from the FCC, and although newly imported routers are not included, TP-Link routers remain deemed safe for use — and will continue to receive software updates for a period. Sadly, most foreign routers were assigned an expiration date.
What complicates the situation is that previously sanctioned versions of products can still be imported and sold, including drones made abroad. The FCC has just revealed it’s retracting some of its suggested guidelines, extending the timeframe that permits products sold in the U.S. to obtain essential updates. The waivers will now end at the close of 2028, and are applicable until January 1, 2029. This pertains to both foreign-made consumer routers and Chinese drones.
The drawback, of course, is that you still cannot purchase newly imported devices that were prohibited as part of the initial alteration. You will only be able to update and keep using devices that might have been previously disabled due to their initially intended expiration on March 1, 2027.