FCC · Donald Trump · Ars Technica
FCC: Router ban includes portable hotspots, but not phones with hotspot capabilities
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The Federal Communications Commission clarified this week that its sweeping ban on foreign-made consumer routers also affects portable hotspot devices.
Key facts
- The FCC router ban stems from a President Trump directive on reducing the use of foreign technology for national security reasons
- The FCC adds that other devices not covered by the ban include analog telephone adapters with Ethernet LAN and WAN ports, femtocells, and optical network terminals
- The Federal Communications Commission clarified this week that its sweeping ban on foreign-made consumer routers also affects portable hotspot devices
- The FCC defines routers broadly, giving the agency plenty of flexibility to include various types of consumer networking devices in the ban
Summary
The FCC added a new section to an FAQ titled, “Is my device a consumer-grade router under the National Security Determination?” The new FAQ section says this category includes “consumer-grade portable or mobile MiFi Wi-Fi or hotspot devices for residential use.” The ban does not cover “mobile phones with hotspot features,” the FAQ says. This means that companies making consumer hotspots need an exemption from the government to import and sell any future hotspots that haven’t previously been approved by the FCC. The FCC defines routers broadly, giving the agency plenty of flexibility to include various types of consumer networking devices in the ban. But while an earlier version of the FAQ stated that cellphones with mobile hotspot features were exempt, it did not specifically say that portable hotspot devices were covered by the ban.