WASHINGTON – The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering an expansion of its criteria for blacklisting telecommunications equipment deemed a national security risk, a move that could eventually restrict the sale of certain foreign-made consumer routers. Contrary to some reports, the agency has not issued an immediate ban.
In a Public Notice issued March 12, the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau solicited public comment on adding a new category to its "Covered List": any entity that produces advanced communications equipment and services found to pose an "unacceptable risk to national security." This procedural step opens the door for future designations but does not name specific router companies at this time.
Inclusion on the Covered List effectively bars new equipment from the U.S. market. The FCC is prohibited from authorizing equipment from listed entities, and federal funds cannot be used to purchase or maintain their products. This list already includes Chinese tech giants Huawei and ZTE, whose new equipment authorizations were halted in 2022 over espionage concerns.
The initiative stems from persistent government concerns about supply chain security. Officials worry that hardware manufactured in adversarial nations could contain hidden backdoors for surveillance or be used to disrupt network traffic, which many consumers attempt to protect using tools like a VPN. By targeting the equipment itself, the FCC aims to prevent potentially compromised devices from connecting to U.S. networks.
Should the FCC later use this expanded authority to designate specific router manufacturers, consumers could see a shift in the market. While the intended outcome is to improve security for home and business networks, potential impacts include reduced product selection and potentially higher prices for approved devices. The public has 30 days from the notice's publication to submit comments on the proposed criteria.
