GoKawiilNetgear is the first major vendor of consumer routers to obtain an exemption from the US government’s sweeping ban on foreign-made routers.
The Federal Communications Commission yesterday announced an exemption for Netgear’s Nighthawk and Orbi routers, and its cable gateways and modems. It came about three weeks after the FCC said it would no longer approve consumer-grade routers made at least partly outside the US, except in cases where the Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security determines that the router does not pose national security risks.
Under the new router ban, the Trump administration decides—through an opaque process in which it’s not clear why any particular company receives an exemption—which companies’ devices can be sold to consumers. Netgear, which is based in the US, was able to move quickly through the multi-agency approval process.
“We’re pleased to share that Netgear is the first retail consumer router company to receive conditional approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as a trusted consumer router company,” Netgear CEO CJ Prober wrote yesterday. “We hope this recognition gives you added peace of mind—knowing that the network powering your home meets rigorous standards.”
Router makers seeking conditional approvals must submit a justification for the use of foreign manufacturing and a “detailed, time-bound plan to establish or expand manufacturing in the United States.” The FCC and Netgear didn’t say what kind of justification or plan was submitted by Netgear.
Exemption lasts until October 2027
Netgear’s exemption lasts until October 1, 2027, and will have to be renewed. The FCC also gave an exemption of the same length to Adtran’s service delivery gateways. Adtran mostly provides networking products for large businesses, including cable and telecom companies, but also sells residential routers.
The Trump administration is reserving the right to block security patches and other software updates. The FCC last month gave all previously approved routers a waiver allowing software updates until March 1, 2027, leaving open the possibility that routers may not be allowed to receive updates after that date.