Overview
- Netgear won conditional FCC approval on Tuesday, April 14, to import and sell new Nighthawk and Orbi routers along with certain cable gateways and modems through October 1, 2027.
- The clearance lets Netgear launch new models and keep software support for those lines past the FCC’s March 1, 2027 update cutoff that applies to non‑exempt devices.
- In March, the FCC expanded its Covered List to block authorization of new consumer routers made outside the U.S., leaving previously approved models on shelves and granting a general update waiver only until March 1, 2027.
- The FCC cited a Pentagon “specific determination” that Netgear’s devices do not pose U.S. national‑security risks, yet reporters note no public plan from Netgear to shift manufacturing from Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand as the approval framework describes.
- Analysts say the move gives Netgear a temporary edge as rivals await approvals, with Adtran also granted a narrower exemption, while debate continues over whether factory location addresses router hacks that often stem from poor patching and end‑of‑life gear.