- FCC rules block new foreign routers while old, vulnerable ones stay in homes longer
- ISP customers cannot upgrade their routers even when security risks are widely known
- Router approvals now dependent on waivers that could slow replacements nationwide
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued new rules intended to address security risks posed by routers produced outside the United States.
A number of recent incidents have shown that foreign routers are vulnerable to cyberattacks, with campaigns like Flax, Volt and Salt Typhoon making headlines across the world.
New FCC rules require all new router models not produced in the United States to obtain a waiver before they can be sold to American consumers.
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Waiver requirement adds pressure
However, this creates a direct problem for the 71% of American households who receive their routers from Internet service providers rather than purchasing their own equipment.
These consumers can’t just walk into a store and buy a compliant router when the rules change, because the hardware in their home is owned by the ISP.
Internet service providers operate on tight margins and typically replace customers’ routers only when necessary – especially for the needs of small businesses amid rising costs.
“To our knowledge, consumer Wi-Fi routers available in the United States are manufactured almost exclusively in China, Taiwan and Vietnam,” said Claus Hetting, CEO of Wi-Fi NOW.
“Foreign manufacturing cannot be easily offshored as it typically relies on long-term contracts with foreign manufacturing entities. Termination of such contracts will be costly.”
Under new FCC rules, ISPs must procure compliant hardware for their millions of subscribers, but the supply chain for U.S.-made Wi-Fi routers does not currently exist.
Without compliant hardware to purchase, ISPs have little incentive to remove routers already deployed to customers.
“It’s not possible to build a consumer router based entirely on American components; that part of the supply chain doesn’t exist in the United States,” added analyst Avi Greengart of Techsponential.
Ookla’s figures claim that about 28% of speed test results in the United States came from devices connected via Wi-Fi 5, while about 7% used Wi-Fi 4 or earlier.
These older standards generally lack the advanced security protocols of newer Wi-Fi generations, making them more exposed 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, as ISPs facing compliance issues could simply delay all router upgrades rather than go through the waiver process for foreign-made equipment.
The FCC’s intention to secure America’s networks is clear, but the practical effect on many homes could be the opposite of what it intends to do.
Until the waiver process proves feasible or domestic manufacturing materializes, these households risk being stuck with the same outdated and potentially insecure routers.
The rules assume that restricting foreign-made equipment will improve safety, but leaving old hardware in place longer may actually increase the elevated risk that the FCC is trying to eliminate.
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