Industry
FCC exempts Netgear from ban on foreign routers, doesn't explain why
Netgear became the first retail consumer router company to receive a conditional FCC exemption from the agency's ban on foreign-made routers, allowing it to introduce new models and push software upda
Netgear became the first retail consumer router company to receive a conditional FCC exemption from the agency's ban on foreign-made routers, allowing it to introduce new models and push software updates to existing devices through October 1, 2027. The exemption followed a Department of Defense determination that Netgear's products do not "pose unacceptable risks" to national security, though neither the FCC nor the Pentagon explained the basis for that conclusion. The exemption is notable because one condition of the FCC's approval pathway requires applicants to present a plan to move at least some production to U.S. soil, yet Netgear's manufacturing remains in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand, with no public onshoring commitment announced.
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Source: Ars Technica | 2026-04-15