Amazon's Eero Exempted From FCC's Foreign-Made Wi-Fi Router Ban

Amazon’s Eero Exempted From FCC’s Foreign-Made Wi-Fi Router Ban

April 22, 2026

Amazon’s eero is the latest vendor to secure an exemption from the US’s ban on foreign-made Wi-Fi routers, following Netgear.

On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission disclosed that several eero product families have received “Conditional Approval” to skirt the ban. This means the company can file and receive FCC equipment authorization to sell the new models in the US, even though the products are manufactured outside the country.

The FCC’s order says the Defense Department reviewed eero’s submission and granted the Conditional Approval, finding the products “do not pose unacceptable risks to national security.” No further explanation was provided.

The exemption applies to the eero, eero Pro, eero Max, eero PoE, eero Outdoor, and eero Signal, along with future Wi-Fi routers for Amazon’s Starlink challenger, Leo. Once a product model receives FCC certification, it can be sold in the US permanently.

exemptions given

(Credit: FCC)

Still, the Conditional Approval only creates a short-term window for Amazon to receive equipment certifications for new eero products—until Oct. 31, 2027, or the max 18-month period under the FCC’s process. Any existing or older eero products are also exempt from the ban.

Amazon told PCMag: “We’re pleased that the US government has recognized eero as a trusted and secure provider of routers. Founded in San Francisco in 2014, eero pioneered mesh wifi and has invested in robust protections since day one, including supply chain security, over-the-air software updates, and continuous testing by the Amazon security team. We remain committed to delivering innovative, reliable products our customers can depend on.” No change is occurring to the customer experience, eero said in a blog post.

To receive the Conditional Approval, Amazon had to submit a detailed list showing the country of origin of the design and all components in the routers. The company also had to supply a “detailed, time-bound plan to establish or expand manufacturing in the United States,” including planned investments and a “dedicated point of contact” for implementing the onshoring plan.

San Jose-based Netgear received the same exemption last week, except it only lasts until Oct. 1, 2027. In addition, Netgear says the exemption waives a looming deadline that only permits vendors to issue patches to their foreign-made Wi-Fi routers until March 1, 2027. (That said, the FCC is indicating it’ll amend the policy in the coming months.)

The FCC’s guidance indicates that both Amazon and Netgear can reapply to extend the Conditional Approval. But applicants will need to submit “an inventory of the progress made on the US manufacturing and onshoring plans submitted for all previous covered approvals.”

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The FCC enacted the ban last month on an order from the White House that found that foreign-made routers posed “a supply chain vulnerability” that hackers could exploit to disrupt the US economy or critical infrastructure. However, nearly all Wi-Fi routers are made outside the country, mainly in Vietnam, Mexico, and Taiwan. As a result, the ban is viewed as a way for the Trump administration to force affected companies to migrate their manufacturing to the US.

So far, the FCC has granted the exemption to only three US companies. The third is Alabama-based Adtran, which focuses more on optical networking, but also offers Wi-Fi routers. A big question is whether TP-Link, a brand with ties to China, along with Asus and other foreign manufacturers, will receive the same exemption.

TP-Link plans to file for a Conditional Approval and met with FCC officials last week about the router ban, while emphasizing its status as a “US company.” In 2022, TP-Link spun off from its Chinese parent company and established its headquarters in Irvine, California. But the company continues to face accusations that its products pose a spying threat that China could leverage.