FCC Extends Software Updates for Banned Drones and Routers Until 2029

The Federal Communications Commission issued a notice on May 8 allowing software and firmware updates for banned foreign-made drones and routers to continue until January 1, 2029. The agency's Office of Engineering and Technology posted the announcement, which states that affected devices will be able to receive updates that mitigate harm to U.S. consumers.

The latest notice extends the previous update deadline by about two years. Officials added uncrewed aircraft systems, known as drones, and drone components to the list of communications equipment posing national security concerns in December 2025. A few months later, the federal agency added routers manufactured outside the U.S.

to the list. The initial exception for routers allowed updates at least through March 1, 2027. In the new notice, officials argued that special circumstances warrant a deviation from the general rules and that the public interest would be better served by extending the waiver of the prohibitions.

The extension follows input from the Consumer Technology Association. The trade organization suggested extending updates and patches to previously authorized devices beyond just one year in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission. The group also requested further clarification on the scope of products affected by the ban.

It asked for more collaboration with the National Security Council and Department of Defense to provide transparency and guidance to companies that manufacture the affected products. Devices on the list remain prohibited from new authorizations or imports for sale in the United States. The extension applies only to software and firmware updates for units already in use or previously authorized.