Domestic Manufacturing of Routers Unlikely in Near Term: Experts
Companies will need to pursue ‘conditional approval’ to circumvent an FCC ban on foreign-made Wi-Fi routers.
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2026 – It appears companies will need to seek temporary authorization to sell new models of Wi-Fi routers in the United States, experts said this week.
The Federal Communications Commission announced Monday that new models of consumer Wi-Fi routers – ones not already being sold in the U.S. – would not receive necessary authorization unless they were produced domestically. Companies looking to import routers from elsewhere will need to seek a “conditional approval” from the Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security.
“Nearly 100% of consumer-grade routers are manufactured or assembled outside the United States, which means the FCC has significantly limits on new router imports and sales until approvals or waivers are granted,” Jeff Heynen, Dell’Oro Group's vice president for broadband access and home networking, wrote in a Wednesday blog post.
Member discussion