Asus Wins Conditional FCC Approval for Routers as TP-Link Remains Unapproved

The US Federal Communications Commission has granted Asus conditional approval, allowing the company's routers and wireless networking equipment to remain on the US market. Washington had previously placed foreign-made consumer routers on the Covered List, in principle barring new models from obtaining the regulatory certification required for sale. Through this security review process, Asus became one of the first major router makers to secure an exemption.

The measure does not require US consumers to discard foreign-brand routers already in their homes. Routers that have received FCC certification and are already sold in the US market are unaffected by the ban; devices consumers previously purchased can continue to be used, and retailers may continue selling already-approved older models. The ban mainly targets future new models and foreign-made routers that have not yet received US regulatory approval. The US government left manufacturers an exception path: applying for conditional approval by demonstrating that the products pose no unacceptable national security risk. Once approved, manufacturers can continue seeking certification for new products and launch new routers in the US market.

The approval covers Asus RT-series routers, the ROG GT series, the ROG Strix GS series, the TUF Gaming series, the ExpertWiFi series, the ZenWiFi Mesh series, the 5G MiFi series, as well as wireless extenders and wireless access points. According to information published by US regulators, the conditional approval is valid until March 6, 2028. During this period, Asus can continue selling qualifying new products in the US market and continue advancing subsequent updates and certification work for its wireless networking products.

Asus produces most of its networking products in Taiwan, while also operating manufacturing facilities in mainland China and working with multiple third-party manufacturers. In recent years, amid tariffs and supply chain shifts, Asus has expanded some production to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico and the Czech Republic. With conditional approval, the company can continue selling next-generation Wi-Fi devices in the US and continue advancing future Wi-Fi 8 products.

TP-Link, one of the largest home wireless router makers in the US, has still not obtained comparable conditional approval. Given TP-Link's large US market share, whether its products can continue to receive regulatory clearance for new models has become an important variable for the future shape of the US router market. One of the US government's main concerns about TP-Link has been whether the company has ties to the Chinese government and military. TP-Link has long denied any such relationship, but US regulators have still not granted it the same approval as Asus.

Asus has already shown Wi-Fi 8 routers such as the ROG Rapture GT-BN98 Pro at Computex 2026 in Taipei, along with the ZenWiFi BN12 Mesh system for ordinary household users. Wi-Fi 8 is not only about raising theoretical transmission speeds; it focuses more on network stability under heavy load, latency, and performance when large numbers of devices are connected simultaneously. With regulatory clearance, its Wi-Fi 8 product line now has the conditions to move forward in the US market.

Conditional approval does not mean the US government has lifted restrictions on foreign-made routers. Washington requires manufacturers applying for conditional approval to disclose information including corporate ownership, board members, and foreign government shareholding and control, and to submit detailed manufacturing and supply chain materials explaining where products are designed, developed, manufactured and assembled and where key components come from. Manufacturers must also submit plans for US domestic manufacturing and supply chain localization, including specific timetables for establishing or expanding US production capacity, along with subsequent progress reports.

The FCC also stressed that the ban targets new equipment and does not retroactively affect products already purchased and in use. Routers that have already received certification can continue to be sold, used and receive software updates. For software and firmware updates to existing devices, regulators have extended the relevant exemption period to prevent the ban from ultimately leaving large numbers of deployed routers unable to receive security fixes.