Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- PCWorld reports that Netgear and Adtran have received conditional FCC exemptions from the foreign-made router ban until October 2027.
- The exemptions cover Netgear’s popular Nighthawk, Orbi, cable gateways, and modems, plus Adtran’s Service Delivery Gateway routers including SDG-9000 Wi-Fi 7 models.
- This marks a shift from the initial blanket ban implemented over national security concerns, suggesting a more nuanced regulatory approach.
The first cracks in the government’s router ban have appeared: many of Netgear’s routers are now exempted from the FCC’s rule banning the sale of foreign-made routers, and Adtran can ship its service routers, too.
Netgear announced that it had earned a conditional approval from the FCC on Tuesday, and the FCC noted it in an update (PDF) to its Covered List as well.
The Federal Communications Commission said in March that it would effectively ban new consumer routers from being imported into the U.S. based on concerns that they pose “unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons.” The decision essentially capped off development of new consumer routers: Without approval by the FCC, no new routers could be licensed and sold. The FCC also put restrictions on updated firmware, too.
At the time, the blanket ban didn’t allow for any exceptions, though the experts pointed to Starlink’s domestically made satellite routers as potentially the only routers that would escape the ban.
Now, we have even more, thanks for the FCC: “Netgear, Inc.’s Nighthawk consumer mesh, mobile and standalone routers (R, RAX, RAXE, RS, MK, MR, M and MH series), Orbi consumer mesh, mobile and standalone routers (RBK, RBE, RBR, RBRE, LBR, LBK and CBK series), cable gateways (CAX series) and cable modems (CM series) (terminating October 1, 2027).”
Adtran Inc.’s Service Delivery Gateways were also exempted by the FCC, specifically its Service Delivery Gateway routers terminating Oct. 1, 2027. Adtran announced the SDG-9000 Wi-Fi 7 routers in May 2025 for homes and small businesses.
Netgear has traditionally manufactured its routers overseas, so it’s not clear why the FCC granted an exception in its case. The company’s Wikipedia article still cites a 2023 10-K filing, which says that the company uses contract manufacturers based in Taiwan to manufacture its products. Netgear had declined to comment on March 24 when asked to comment.
“As a U.S. founded and headquartered company, Netgear is aligned with the vision for a more secure digital future for our customers,” the company said Tuesday.