Netgear is the first company to be exempted from the Federal Communications Commission's ban on foreign-made routers, although the reason is unknown.

In March 2026 , the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 's Public Safety and Homeland Security Administrationannounced it had added routers manufactured outside the United States to its covered list, citing unacceptable risks to national security and public safety. However, less than half a month after the regulations came into effect, the FCC granted Netgear , a U.S. telecommunications equipment manufacturer, permission to sell products manufactured outside the United States, without explaining the reasons for the permission, raising questions.

FCC'S PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OF CERTAIN ROUTERS AND UNCREWED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS (UAS) AND EXEMPTION FROM FCC COVERED LIST
(PDF file) https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-351A1.pdf

What US Router Security Standards Mean for NETGEAR Products | CEO Letter
https://www.netgear.com/letter-from-the-ceo-fcc-conditional-approval/

Netgear Scores the First Exemption From the FCC's Foreign-Made Router Ban | PCMag
https://www.pcmag.com/news/netgear-scores-the-first-exemption-from-the-fccs-foreign-made-router-ban

The FCC just saved Netgear from its router ban for no obvious reason | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/tech/911888/netgear-router-ban-conditional-approval

A national security decision issued on March 20, 2026, pointed out that vulnerabilities in routers manufactured outside the United States are being exploited by malicious attackers for home surveillance, intellectual property theft, and attacks on critical infrastructure. The FCC concluded that 'the majority of routers used in the United States are manufactured outside the United States, and this dependence creates vulnerabilities in the supply chain that could cause serious harm to the American economy, national defense, and the people.' Based on this, the FCC decided that new routers manufactured outside the United States would be prohibited from receiving wireless certification, effectively making their import and sale in the United States impossible.

US government bans import and sale of consumer routers manufactured outside the US - GIGAZINE

Companies that have already obtained wireless certification for certain foreign products will continue to be able to import them, and existing users will not be restricted from continuing to use the equipment they currently own. In addition, companies that continue to manufacture outside the United States were required to obtain conditional approval from the U.S. Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security in order to be granted an exception.

Amidst this situation, the FCC announced on April 14, 2026, that it would grant Netgear an exception, allowing it to sell new Wi-Fi routers and mesh models to consumers, even if they were manufactured outside the United States. The Department of Defense reviewed Netgear's exemption application and stated in its order that it determined Netgear's products 'do not pose a risk to U.S. national security.'

In a statement, Netgear said, 'We are the first retail consumer router company to receive conditional approval from the FCC as a trusted consumer router company, and this approval will give our customers even more peace of mind knowing that their home network meets stringent standards.'

The FCC's announcement states that the Department of Defense made a 'specific judgment' that Netgear's equipment does not pose a risk to national security. However, the order does not detail the basis for this judgment, and Netgear has not disclosed details, raising questions about the effectiveness of the regulations and review process. Furthermore, when the regulations were announced in March, it was stated that the approval process would require the submission of a plan regarding the 'establishment or expansion of manufacturing facilities in the United States,' but Netgear has not made such an announcement as of the time of writing.

The Verve has inquired with Netgear about whether they have improved their security measures to meet approval requirements and whether they have submitted plans to the FCC regarding expanding their manufacturing facilities in the United States, but has not yet received a response as of the time of writing.

On Reddit, when the FCC announced the regulations, some pointed out that it was 'industrial protection under the guise of national security.' According to the posts, considering that Netgear lost a significant amount of market share during the COVID-19 pandemic and has launched patent lawsuits and public relations strategies against TP-Link , which has Chinese origins, it is possible that the regulations restricting TP-Link while easing restrictions on Netgear were intended to boost Netgear's industry. TP-Link is under investigation due to concerns about national security risks, and is indeed facing exclusion from the US government. Several government agencies support the US Department of Commerce's proposal to ban the sale of TP-Link routers, and Texas has sued TP-Link for 'assisting cyberattacks by the Chinese Communist Party.'

The US is investigating the security risks posed by TP-Link, the world's largest wireless LAN equipment manufacturer, while TP-Link claims that 'the US TP-Link and the Chinese TP-Link are separate entities' - GIGAZINE

Furthermore, immediately after the FCC announced its regulations, Netgear's stock price rose 16.7% in after-hours trading, and a Netgear spokesperson said in a statement, 'We commend the administration and the FCC for their actions toward a safer digital future for the American people.' Given this sequence of events and the process by which Netgear alone gained a significant advantage, the poster stated, 'This is not a conspiracy theory, it is documentary evidence. Everything in this post is clearly cited and linked . I may be wrong, so please read and judge for yourself.'