FCC grants Starlink temporary exemption from foreign-made router Covered List ban

Ars Technica reported that the Trump administration exempted SpaceX Starlink routers from the Federal Communications Commission's ban on foreign-made consumer-grade routers after Department of War approval. The exemption runs until February 1, 2028. The FCC had placed consumer-grade routers made at least partly outside the United States on the Covered List unless they receive conditional approvals, arguing national security risk. Netgear and Amazon, including Eero and Leo satellite routers, previously won exemptions. SpaceX builds some routers in Texas marked Made in the USA, while others are made in Vietnam, according to prior PCMag reporting cited by Ars. The ban does not remove already approved models from sale but blocks future model approvals without an exemption. Ars noted TP-Link has not yet received one and that drone makers face a related Covered List process.