FCC expands router ban to cover mobile hotspots and LTE/5G CPE devices

12 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Apr 24

The FCC now includes portable MiFi Wi-Fi, hotspot devices, and LTE/5G CPEs for residential use in its ban, affecting brands like TP-Link, Linksys, and Asus.
Existing devices are unaffected, but consumers may face higher prices, fewer budget options, and slower innovation as new foreign-made models are barred from the U.S. market.
Most broadband users rent equipment from ISPs, which may become more common but offers less control and higher long-term costs; national security concerns remain the FCC's primary rationale.

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Will the FCC's foreign router ban make home networks safer or leave them more vulnerable?

As prices for approved routers rise, who will bear the financial burden of this security policy?

With router production already shifted from China, who is this national security ban truly targeting?

Are temporary approvals for brands like NETGEAR a real solution or just delaying a supply chain crisis?