Initial exemptions from the U.S. government's prohibition on router imports have emerged, allowing numerous Netgear devices to bypass the Federal Communications Commission's restrictions on foreign-produced equipment, while Adtran gains permission to distribute its service-oriented routers.
On Tuesday, Netgear revealed that it secured provisional clearance from the FCC, a development reflected in the agency's recent revision to its Covered List documentation in PDF format.
In March, the FCC declared a de facto halt to importing fresh consumer routers into the United States, citing severe threats to national security and the well-being of American citizens. This measure effectively halted innovation in new consumer router designs, as unlicensed products could not enter the market, and it also imposed limits on software upgrades for existing firmware.
The original policy offered no carve-outs, with industry observers highlighting Starlink's U.S.-produced satellite routers as one possible category unaffected by the restrictions.
The FCC has now extended relief to specific Netgear offerings: Nighthawk mesh systems, portable units, and individual routers (covering R, RAX, RAXE, RS, MK, MR, M, and MH lines), along with Orbi mesh, portable, and standalone models (RBK, RBE, RBR, RBRE, LBR, LBK, and CBK variants), cable gateways in the CAX lineup, and cable modems from the CM series, all valid until October 1, 2027.
The FCC similarly waived requirements for Adtran Inc.'s Service Delivery Gateways, including those routers set to conclude on October 1, 2027. In May 2025, Adtran introduced the SDG-9000 series, featuring Wi-Fi 7 technology tailored for residential and small enterprise use.
Historically, Netgear has relied on overseas production for its routers, leaving the rationale for the FCC's waiver somewhat unclear. A spokesperson for Netgear explained in an email, following the initial publication of this report, that they examined the agency's open criteria for provisional endorsements, filed a compliant request, and obtained the necessary go-ahead.
Netgear's Wikipedia entry references a 2023 annual SEC filing indicating the use of Taiwanese contract facilities for production. The firm had chosen not to respond to inquiries on March 24.
As an American-established and U.S.-based enterprise, Netgear supports the goal of enhancing cybersecurity for its clientele in the digital realm, according to a Tuesday statement from the company.
This report received an update at 6:02 PM incorporating further remarks from Netgear.