dailyloe.com – The Federal Communications Commission banned new foreign-made Wi-Fi routers on March 23. Netgear became the first company granted an exemption on Tuesday. Its routers are manufactured in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan. The ban applies to new models produced in foreign countries.
Netgear CEO CJ Prober issued a statement on the exemption. He said Netgear is a US-founded and -headquartered company. Prober stated the company aligns with the vision for a more secure digital future. The FCC’s ban does not apply to existing authorized routers.
Consumers do not need to immediately replace their current routers. The order currently applies to any new foreign-produced models. Router manufacturers can apply for an exemption from the commission. Netgear is the only company with Conditional Approval so far.
This is a major development for the domestic Wi-Fi router market. Nearly every router for purchase is partially manufactured outside the US. This includes brands like TP-Link, Asus, and Netgear. An estimated sixty percent of US routers are made in China.
The FCC published a list of FAQs explaining the rule. A router is foreign-made if any major production stage occurs outside the US. This includes manufacturing, assembly, design, and development. The commission referred inquiries to its Covered List FAQ page.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr commented on the cybersecurity rationale. He said the FCC follows President Trump’s leadership on this issue. Carr stated the commission will ensure US cyberspace and supply chains are safe. He emphasized protecting critical infrastructure from threats.
The FCC says routers produced abroad were directly implicated in cyberattacks. These attacks are named Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon. The Salt Typhoon attack specifically exploited Cisco routers. It gained access to networks of US providers like AT&T and Verizon.
Lumen, which owns CenturyLink and Quantum Fiber, was also affected. William Budington of the Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized the approach. He told CNET the ban uses an extremely blunt instrument. Budington said it will impact many harmless products to stem a real problem.
He added this takes place amid mass defunding of cyberdefense initiatives. The FCC’s action aims to address supply chain security concerns. The conditional approval for Netgear shows a pathway for other companies. The full impact on the router market remains to be seen.[]
Source: CNET
