The Trump administration has criticized America’s technological sector for its dependence on international partners, and the home router market is a prime example. In its 2025 National Security Strategy, the administration named securing independent supply chains a pillar of its economic and national security policies.
In March 2026, the FCC banned all international home internet routers, citing security gaps in foreign-made routers that have been exploited by malicious actors to attack American households and disrupt networks.
The FCC’s National Security Determination argues that companies manufacturing routers can inject backdoors into their products, giving foreign intelligence agencies and hackers access to American networks. To ward off such intrusions, the Trump administration has pushed the FCC to ban any router whose components, assembly, or designs were produced overseas.
However, the ban has hit several roadblocks, as the FCC looks to implement a ruling that many critics warned was unrealistic. In May, the FCC issued a public notice that routers can “continue to receive software and firmware updates that mitigate harm to U.S. consumers” until at least January 1, 2029.
Critics pointed to the revision as an indication of the contradictions inherent in the restrictions, noting that banning software updates could cause more security problems than it solves. As it stands, a wholly-domestic router supply chain may merely be wishful thinking.
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America’s router market relies on foreign partners, particularly from Southeast Asia, to source and design its products. The market’s largest company, Chinese router giant T.P. Link, has been in the FCC’s crosshairs for years, with the Administration attempting to ban the firm’s popular products outright in 2025.
T.P. Link produces roughly 35% of America’s home routers, down from over 60% in 2024. Popular international firm ASUS is based in Taiwan, whose ZenWiFi Pro tested as one of the best mesh Wi-Fi routers of 2026.
In the wake of the ruling, T.P. Link met with the FCC to secure conditional approval for its routers. During the meeting, the Chinese manufacturer argued that it is “investing hundreds of millions of dollars to bring manufacturing and research and development of its consumer routers to the U.S.”
But not even America’s domestic brands meet the strict domestic manufacturing standards, as all major American brands depend on international partners to source and construct their products. Google, for instance, makes its Nest routers in Vietnam and China. Netgear, meanwhile, splits its operation between Vietnam and Taiwan. Ubiquiti and Amazon also depend on international partners. Another major American brand, Linksys, is owned by Taiwanese giant Foxconn and manufactures its products in Vietnam.
To date, at least 11 companies have received waivers to sell their routers in the United States through 2027.
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Critics continue to question the logic behind the administration’s router crackdown. For one thing, advocates note that the ban does little to protect consumers who already own foreign-made routers. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the lack of targeted enforcement, and the ability to seek conditional approvals, is likely to magnify problematic trends in the consumer router market.
The future of the American router market remains murky. As it stands, the FCC’s regulations bar any company from selling new foreign-produced routers that haven’t previously received approval from the United States government. With that said, firms can sell routers already on the market.
Companies will have to adapt to changing regulations and supply chain disruptions. The outcome of this situation will likely depend on the ability of companies to find ways to comply with the FCC’s ruling while still meeting consumer demand, and this may involve developing new enterprise AI solutions.
The FCC will likely continue to face pushback from companies and consumers as it implements its ruling. As companies continue to court the FCC for approval, their customers may be stuck waiting to hear if their chosen brand will make the cut.
It is a challenge.
