- FCC rules block new foreign routers, while old, vulnerable ones stay in the home longer
- ISP customers cannot upgrade routers even when security risks become widely known
- Router approvals now depend on waivers that can slow nationwide replacements
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued new rules aimed at addressing security risks from routers manufactured outside the United States.
A number of recent incidents have shown that foreign routers are vulnerable to cyber attacks, with campaigns such as Flax, Volt and Salt Typhoon making headlines around the world.
The new FCC rules require all new models of non-US-made routers to receive a waiver before they can be sold to US consumers.
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Waiver requirements add pressure
However, this creates a direct problem for the 71% of US households who receive their routers from ISPs rather than purchasing their own equipment.
These consumers can’t just go to a store and buy a compatible router when the rules change because the hardware in their home belongs to the ISP.
ISPs operate on tight margins and typically only replace customer routers when necessary — especially for small business router needs amid rising costs
“To our knowledge, consumer-grade Wi-Fi routers available in the United States are almost exclusively manufactured in China, Taiwan and Vietnam,” said Claus Hetting, CEO of Wi-Fi NOW.
“Foreign production cannot be easily relocated as it is typically based on long-term contracts with foreign production units. Such contracts will be expensive to terminate.”
Under the new FCC rules, ISPs must provide compatible hardware to their millions of subscribers, but the supply chain for US-made Wi-Fi routers does not currently exist.
Without compatible hardware to buy, ISPs have little incentive to make do with the routers already installed in customers’ homes.
“It’s not possible to build a consumer router based entirely on US components; that part of the supply chain doesn’t exist in the US,” added Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart.
Figures from Ookla claim that around 28% of Speedtest results in the US came from devices connected via Wi-Fi 5, while approximately 7% used Wi-Fi 4 or older.
These older standards typically lack the advanced security protocols of newer Wi-Fi generations, leaving them more vulnerable to the very threats the FCC aims to address — especially for high-demand gaming router setups.
The rules could paradoxically slow the adoption of newer technologies like Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, because ISPs facing compliance headaches may simply delay all router upgrades rather than navigate the exemption process for foreign-made equipment.
The FCC’s intention to secure America’s networks is clear, but the practical effect on more households may be the opposite of what it intends to do.
Until the waiver process proves workable or domestic manufacturing materializes, these households may remain stuck with the same outdated, potentially insecure routers.
The rules assume that restricting foreign-made equipment will improve security, but leaving old hardware in place longer may actually increase the high risk the FCC is trying to eliminate.
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