FCC grants Netgear conditional approval exempting it from foreign router ban

The Federal Communications Commission has granted Netgear conditional approval that exempts the company from a ban on foreign-made networking routers, giving it a temporary monopoly on new consumer routers in the United States. Netgear becomes the first retail consumer router company to receive conditional approval from the FCC as a trusted router company, according to CEO CJ Prober. The approval covers Netgear's Nighthawk and Orbi mesh router lines through October 1, 2027, allowing the company to continue offering software updates and presumably release new models. The FCC dramatically expanded its Covered List of communications equipment posing national security risks to include all foreign-made routers in March 2026. The decision prevents companies that manufacture routers outside the U.S. from introducing new foreign-made models and pushing certain software updates after March 1, 2027. Neither the FCC's announcement nor Netgear's explains why the company received the temporary exemption. The FCC states only that the Pentagon has made 'a specific determination' that Netgear's devices do not pose risks to U.S. national security. The conditional approval process requires companies to submit a detailed plan to establish or expand manufacturing in the United States, but Netgear has not publicly committed to U.S. manufacturing. The company builds its routers in Asia like most competitors, including Amazon's Eero and Google's Nest WiFi Pro. Netgear submitted documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the conditional approval but did not disclose any U.S. manufacturing investments. The FCC's exemption applies specifically to Netgear's Nighthawk consumer mesh, mobile and standalone routers, Orbi consumer mesh routers, cable gateways, and cable modems.