FCC Router Ban Is Bad News for These Brands. Is Yours on the List?
PCMag • • business
Key Points:
- A recent Ookla report reveals that Amazon-owned Eero leads the US Wi-Fi router market with a 10% share, followed by Chinese-affiliated TP-Link at 9.9%, and US-based Netgear at 9.6%, based on Speedtest.net data from January 2025 to April 2025.
- The FCC's ban on foreign-made Wi-Fi routers aims to address potential security risks and supply chain vulnerabilities, but the industry warns that shifting production to the US will take years and significantly increase costs for consumers.
- Many Americans continue to use older Wi-Fi standards, with about 28% of Speedtest samples running on Wi-Fi 5 and 7% on Wi-Fi 4 or older, highlighting the need for hardware upgrades to benefit from newer technologies.
- The FCC's order exempts currently used and sold routers from the ban and allows vendors to apply for exemptions if they plan to move manufacturing to the US, but software updates for foreign-made routers will only be allowed until March 1, 2027, raising concerns about future security.
- Legal experts anticipate possible court challenges to the ban, and the FCC has indicated it may clarify or extend the software update deadline, while industry groups warn the policy could hamper Wi-Fi innovation and evolution.
