Cable Industry Wants Waiver from FCC Router Ban
NCTA said its suppliers need to swap components in already approved router designs amid AI-induced shortages
WASHINGTON, June 3, 2026 – The cable industry is asking federal regulators for permission to swap certain components of approved Wi-Fi router designs.
NCTA, which represents major broadband Internet Service Providers, said the move would be necessary to “prevent sudden and abrupt disruptions that would harm vast swaths of American consumers who are NCTA members’ customers.”
The Federal Communications Commission added new foreign-made routers — that is, all consumer routers — to its Covered List in March. That means router models not already cleared for sale in the U.S. will be barred from import unless the manufacturer receives a temporary “conditional approval.”
