Your wireless router is now banned from sale in the US
9to5Mac • • business
Key Points:
- The FCC has banned the importation and sale of nearly all foreign-made wireless routers in the US, citing national security and cybersecurity risks that could disrupt critical infrastructure and harm US persons.
- This ruling follows a similar ban on foreign-made drones, with the FCC classifying routers as potential tools for surveillance, intelligence collection, and dual-use military technologies.
- The ban affects most routers used in US homes, including those provided by ISPs and consumer models, though older models already sold in the US remain permitted for sale.
- The definition of foreign-made routers includes any major stage of production such as manufacturing, assembly, design, or development, making exemptions unlikely in practice.
- While the ban does not prohibit the use of existing foreign-made routers, it may create supply challenges for ISPs in providing new routers to customers until US-based production can scale.
