Netgear just became the only company that can sell new consumer routers in the US, thanks to a regulatory loophole. The FCC granted them conditional approval that exempts them from a ban on foreign-made networking equipment that hit everyone else in the industry.
Here's the backstory. In March 2026, the FCC expanded its "Covered List" of security risks to include all foreign-made routers. Companies can't introduce new models made outside the US, and after March 1, 2027, they can't even push certain software updates to existing routers. Your current router is fine, but the industry basically froze.
Netgear got around this by promising to move some manufacturing to the US. That earned them conditional approval through October 1, 2027, covering their Nighthawk and Orbi mesh router lines. They can keep updating software, releasing new models, and selling routers while competitors like Amazon's Eero and Google's Nest WiFi are stuck.
The irony? Netgear still makes most of its routers in Asia, just like everyone else. The FCC hasn't explained what makes Netgear's foreign-made hardware safer than the competition. The difference is paperwork and a manufacturing relocation plan, not the actual products shipping today.
For anyone setting up a home network or small office, this matters because your options just got a lot more limited. If you need a new router in the next year and want the latest tech, you're probably buying Netgear. Other brands can still sell existing inventory, but don't expect new models or major updates.
This is a weird moment where national security policy accidentally created a corporate monopoly. Other companies will likely scramble for their own conditional approvals, but until then, Netgear is the only game in town for new consumer networking gear.
