FCC Bans Sales of New Foreign-Made Consumer Wi-Fi Routers Starting March 2026

The Federal Communications Commission banned the sale of new consumer-grade Wi-Fi routers manufactured outside the United States in March 2026, citing national security concerns. The ban addresses risks from malicious actors who have exploited security gaps in foreign-made routers to attack American households, disrupt networks, enable espionage, and facilitate intellectual property theft.

Foreign-made routers were involved in the Volt cyberattack targeting vital US infrastructure, the Flax cyberattack targeting vital US infrastructure, and the Salt Typhoon cyberattack targeting vital US infrastructure, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

Foreign-made consumer routers were added to the Covered List, which details equipment and services deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States, the Federal Communications Commission stated. The ban only affects the sale of new Wi-Fi routers aimed at consumer households and the sale of new mobile Wi-Fi or hotspot devices aimed at consumer households.

The ban does not affect routers already in American homes, routers currently on sale in the US, existing FCC-approved routers on sale in the US, or previously purchased routers already in use in homes across the country.

It also does not apply to phones with hotspot features. All new routers aimed at the consumer market require FCC approval, and any new router manufactured outside the US requires FCC approval before it can be imported, marketed, or sold in the US. This includes routers from US companies manufactured overseas.

Manufacturers can apply for exemptions from the ban, and some manufacturers have been approved for exemptions. Netgear has been granted Conditional Approval until October 1, 2027, Adtran has been granted Conditional Approval until October 1, 2027, and Eero has been granted Conditional Approval until October 31, 2027, according to the Federal Communications Commission.