FCC Router Ban Expands to Portable Wi-Fi Hotspots, Phones Safe
The FCC expanded its ban on foreign-made routers to include portable Wi-Fi hotspots and LTE/5G home internet devices. Mobile phones with hotspot features are not affected by the updated ban.
The Federal Communications Commission updated its ban on foreign-made networking equipment to cover more devices. The expanded ban now includes portable Wi-Fi hotspots and LTE/5G customer premise equipment (CPE) devices used for home internet.
Portable Wi-Fi hotspots work differently from home routers. They use SIM cards to connect to cellular networks rather than ethernet cables in your home. Despite this difference, the FCC now considers them part of the same security concern as traditional routers.
The good news for most consumers is that mobile phones with built-in hotspot features remain safe from the ban. This means you can still use your smartphone to create a Wi-Fi network for your laptop, tablet, or other devices.
Devices already owned by consumers are not affected by the expansion. The ban focuses on preventing new foreign-made networking equipment from entering the U.S. market due to national security concerns.
The FCC updated its frequently asked questions document to clarify which devices fall under the ban's scope.
If you use a portable Wi-Fi hotspot from companies like those in China, you may need to find alternatives in the future. Your smartphone's hotspot feature will still work normally, so you can still share your phone's internet with other devices.
Watch for more clarification from the FCC on which specific hotspot brands and models are affected.
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