Cybersecurity Policy Report, FCC Adds Foreign-Made Consumer Routers to ‘Covered List’, (Mar 24, 2026)

By Lynn Stanton

The FCC yesterday added all foreign-produced consumer-grade routers to its “covered list” of equipment and services deemed to be a national security threat to U.S. communications networks, which will bar the importation, sale, or marketing of any foreign-produced consumer routers that have not already received an FCC equipment authorization and will prevent the authorization of new models.

Consumers may continue to use previously purchased foreign-produced consumer routers.

The action follows “a determination by a White House-convened Executive Branch interagency body with appropriate national security expertise that such routers ‘pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of United States persons,’” the FCC said.

The executive branch determination noted that foreign-produced routers “(1) introduce ‘a supply chain vulnerability that could disrupt the U.S. economy, critical infrastructure, and national defense’ and (2) pose ‘a severe cybersecurity risk that could be leveraged to immediately and severely disrupt U.S. critical infrastructure and directly harm U.S. persons.’”

According to the national security determination, “Compromised routers can enable in-depth network surveillance, data exfiltration, botnet attacks, and unauthorized access to U.S. government or American businesses’ networks. The United States must have secure and trusted routers. However, currently a majority of the routers in American homes and businesses are produced outside of the United States. Allowing routers produced abroad to dominate the U.S. market creates unacceptable economic, national security, and cybersecurity risks.”

The FCC noted that foreign-made routers were “involved in the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks targeting vital U.S. infrastructure.”

It also noted that the national security determination “included an exemption for routers that the Department of War (DoW) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have granted ‘Conditional Approval’ after finding that such device or devices do not pose such unacceptable risks. Producers of consumer-grade routers are encouraged to submit an application for Conditional Approval using the guidance attached to the determination.”

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said, “I welcome this Executive Branch national security determination, and I am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign-produced routers, which were found to pose an unacceptable national security risk, to the FCC’s Covered List. Following President Trump’s leadership, the FCC will continue do our part in making sure that U.S. cyberspace, critical infrastructure, and supply chains are safe and secure.”

House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar (R., Mich.) said, “Today’s tremendous decision by the FCC and the Trump Administration protects our country against China’s relentless cyberattacks and makes it clear that these devices should be excluded from our critical infrastructure. Routers are key to keeping us all connected and we cannot allow Chinese technology to be at the center of that. Additionally, I urge our national security agencies to keep shutting down the glaring vulnerabilities throughout the American IT supply chain, including Chinese-made cellular modules, networked sensors, industrial robots, and energy grid equipment.”

News: FederalLegislation LitigationEnforcement DataSecurity