FCC adds foreign-made consumer routers to Covered List, blocking approval of new models

The FCC has updated its Covered List to include consumer-grade routers produced in foreign countries, which means new covered models can no longer receive FCC equipment authorization unless they secure a Conditional Approval from the Department of War or DHS. The agency announced the move on March 23, 2026, after receiving a national security determination from an Executive Branch interagency body.

That is a big policy shift, but it is not a blanket order forcing Americans to stop using their current routers. The restriction is forward-looking. It targets new equipment authorizations for routers produced in a foreign country, while previously approved devices already on the market remain outside the immediate ban.

The FCC says the change follows a formal finding that routers produced in foreign countries pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security and to the safety and security of U.S. persons. The national security determination cited recent threat activity and supply chain concerns as part of the rationale for adding these routers to the Covered List.

The agency’s own fact sheet frames the measure as a market-access block on new foreign-made consumer router models, not a consumer recall. That distinction matters because the sample article overstates the immediate effect on devices already in homes and stores.

What the FCC action actually does

Under the FCC notice, the Covered List now includes “routers produced in a foreign country, except routers which have been granted a Conditional Approval by DoW or DHS.” In practice, that means manufacturers of newly covered routers cannot get FCC authorization for new models unless one of those agencies clears them through the exception process.

The FCC did not create this category on its own. The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau said it made the addition after the Commission received a national security determination from the Executive Branch body responsible for such findings under the Secure Networks Act.

The FCC also published a FAQ page explaining the change and its scope. That page says the action applies to routers produced in foreign countries and affects equipment authorization decisions going forward.

What is not changing right away

Existing home routers do not suddenly become illegal because of this action. The FCC’s materials make clear that the update blocks authorization of new covered models, while older models that already cleared the process are a separate question.

The FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology also issued a waiver after the Covered List update so previously authorized covered routers can continue to receive certain Class I permissive changes, including software and firmware security updates, through at least March 1, 2027. That is important because it means the agency did not want the new restriction to accidentally block vulnerability patches for products already in use.

So the practical takeaway is straightforward. New foreign-made consumer router models now face a major U.S. approval barrier. Existing approved devices are not being kicked off shelves or cut off from security updates overnight.

FCC router action at a glance

All entries in this table come from FCC notices and related FCC documents released in March 2026.

Why the government says it acted

The FCC says the update followed an interagency national security determination, not a routine product review. The determination says routers produced in foreign countries, regardless of the producer’s nationality, can present unacceptable national security risks.

The FCC materials also connect the decision to broader concern over nation-state campaigns and compromised edge devices. The public notice references the national security finding as the legal trigger, while the fact sheet says the policy aims to keep high-risk network equipment from entering the U.S. authorization pipeline.

What manufacturers can still do

Manufacturers are not completely locked out. The FCC says there is a Conditional Approval process for routers produced in a foreign country. Under that framework, DoW or DHS can determine that a specific router or class of routers does not pose unacceptable risk, and that determination can allow FCC authorization to proceed.

The FCC also published submission guidance for companies seeking that exception. That means the policy is strict, but not absolute.

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