The US Federal Communications Commission just announced a ban on the importation and sale of routers made outside of the US, except for those which have already received FCC approval.
Presumably this means that GL.inet can continue to sell and deliver all models which have received FCC approval before today.
Approval of new devices will require approval from DHS or the Department of Defense, which will require submission of a specific plan for moving manufacturing and component sourcing within the US.
It’s not in the database as of yet. I sent an email asking this very question and the response was “what announcement?” I haven’t gotten a response yet after clarifying. I really hope the Mudi 7 is not impacted but I strongly suspect the Slate 7 Pro will be.
I’m hoping there will be legal challenges to this, as it is so blatantly BS.
I recently bought a Flint 2 and while this model isn’t on the list, what are the risks of it being compromised? A statement from GL-iNet concerning their products would be good, assuming one doesn’t already exist.
Does anyone know if the new MUDI has gotten FCC approval?
I desperately want one, and can’t afford it right now, but if they are about to get banned (and I’m in the US) then I should find a way to get one any way I can (like selling plasma or joining OnlyFans etc).
I have not been able to find a list of device models the FCC previously authorized, but it sounds like such a list exists. Has anyone on this forum found the list?
Additionally, TP-Link shared that the brand has been “committed to making further investments in America and has already been planning to establish U.S.-based manufacturing to complement our existing company-owned facilities in Vietnam.”
The FCC Public Notice DA 26-286 (issued March 23, 2026) states the following conditions:
All previously FCC-authorized routers may continue to receive software and firmware updates — including security patches and updates to maintain functionality and OS compatibility — at least until March 1, 2027 under a temporary waiver.
After March 1, 2027, the waiver ends. At that point, foreign-produced routers become “Covered Routers” and are prohibited from receiving Class I permissive changes (such as security/firmware updates) unless they have been granted Conditional Approval by the Department of War (DoW) or DHS.
This related to future updates, gl-inet need care about this also.
Future Plans: A U.S.-Based Manufacturing Facility
The ultimate goal of an actual factory presence could begin as early as late 2025.
“We are in advanced discovery processes to bringing a physical factory presence to the USA which will be a dream come true for us,” Zhao stated. “Our current factory presence includes options outside of mainland China and we are expanding them rapidly, while fine-tuning our processes and automation to be most efficient for our eventual American facility – and bring jobs with us.”
Interesting. What is the logic of exposing users to vulnerabilities by preventing software update? Isn't the whole thing is to enhance consumer network security?
