The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted ASUS a conditional approval to continue selling its routers and wireless networking equipment in the United States. This decision allows the company to bypass recent restrictions on foreign-manufactured consumer routers, which were added to the FCC's Covered List in March 2024 due to supply chain and cybersecurity concerns.
The approval covers a wide range of ASUS product lines, including the RT series, ROG GT and Strix GS series, TUF Gaming, ExpertWiFi, ZenWiFi Mesh, and 5G MiFi devices. This authorization is valid until March 6, 2028, enabling the company to pursue FCC certification for new models and continue its roadmap for future Wi-Fi 8 technology.
To secure this exemption, ASUS underwent a rigorous security review process. The US government requires applicants to disclose corporate ownership, board composition, foreign government influence, and detailed supply chain information. Additionally, manufacturers must provide plans for localizing production and expanding manufacturing capabilities within the United States.
While ASUS has received this clearance, other major manufacturers like TP-Link have not yet been granted similar conditional approvals. The current regulatory landscape creates a complex environment where market competition may shift depending on which foreign brands can successfully navigate the security audit and supply chain transparency requirements set by US authorities.
The FCC's policy does not affect devices that were already certified and sold before the new restrictions were implemented. Existing routers remain legal to use and sell, and the government has extended exemptions for software and firmware updates to ensure that deployed network equipment continues to receive critical security patches.
