FCC Exempts Netgear From Foreign Router Ban Without Explanation

The Federal Communications Commission has granted a significant exemption to Netgear, allowing its popular consumer routers to bypass a new national ban on foreign-made devices. This makes the US-based company the first major vendor to receive such a waiver. The exemption, announced yesterday, covers Netgear’s Nighthawk and Orbi router lines, along with its cable modems and gateways. This decision arrives roughly three weeks after the FCC, under the Trump administration, instituted a sweeping prohibition. That policy blocks approval for any new consumer routers manufactured, even partially, outside the United States.

A critical exception was built into the original rule. It allows for devices to be approved if federal agencies like the Department of Defense or Homeland Security certify they pose no national security risk. Netgear successfully navigated this multi-agency review process, securing its exemption swiftly. However, the administration’s methodology for granting these waivers remains unclear. The process is notably opaque, offering no public explanation for why one company’s products are deemed safe while others are excluded. This lack of transparency places the power to decide which routers reach consumers solely in the hands of the Trump administration, operating through a non-public review.