Cybersecurity Policy Report, Timing for Exemptions, Conditional Approvals Updated on ‘Covered List’, (Aug 24, 2026)

By Lynn Stanton

The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has updated the agency’s “covered list” of equipment and services deemed to pose an unacceptable national security risk to reflect the Department of Defense’s determination that extended until Jan. 1, 2028, the exemption of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and UAS critical components on the department’s Blue UAS Cleared List and of UAS and UAS critical components that qualify as “domestic end products” under the Buy American standard.

The bureau also updated the covered list to reflect the department’s determination that conditional approvals for foreign-produced UAS and UAS critical components “will not terminate on December 31, 2026, so long as the applicant complies with its approved onshoring plan and updated vetting of the products,” it said in a public notice in WC docket 18-89, ET docket 21-232, and EA docket 21-233.

The bureau said it updated the covered list to reflect the department’s determination that a conditional approval “will terminate—and the device will be restored to the Covered List—if the applicant fails to adhere to the onshoring plan or if the U.S. Government discovers any false statements or misrepresentations in the application.”

Finally, the bureau has removed from the covered list the following devices to which the department has granted conditional approval: Ascento, Inc.’s Ascento Guard Dori USA v1 Uncrewed Aircraft System and WNC Corp.’s LVR5A, LVM9, and LV85C Wi-Fi Routers. The conditional approval for the WNC routers will terminate Feb. 21, 2028.

News: FederalLegislation DataSecurity