The Federal Communications Commission clarified this week that its broad ban on foreign-made consumer routers also affects portable hotspot devices.
The FCC added a new section Frequently asked questions titled, “Is my device a consumer-grade router under the National Security Determination?” The new FAQ section says that this category includes “consumer-grade portable or mobile MiFi Wi-Fi or residential hotspot devices.” The FAQ states that the ban does not cover “mobile phones with hotspot features”.
This means that companies that build consumer hotspots need an exemption from the government to import and sell future hotspots that have not previously been approved by the FCC. As with routers, devices previously approved for sale in the United States may continue to be imported and sold without a special exemption.
The FCC defines routers broadly, giving the agency plenty of flexibility to include different types of consumer networking devices in the ban. FCC time announced the ban last month, it defined routers as “consumer-grade networking devices designed primarily for residential use that can be installed by the customer” and “transfer data packets, most commonly Internet Protocol (IP) packets, between network systems.”
But one previous version While the FAQ states that cell phones with mobile hotspot features are exempt, it does not specifically say that portable hotspot devices are covered by the ban. In addition to hotspot devices, the new FAQ section states that the router ban applies to “consumer or small and medium-sized business routers that are sold or leased through retail and can be self-installed by end users”; “LTE/5G CPE (customer premises equipment) devices for residential use”; “residential routers installed by a professional or ISP”; and “residential gateways that combine modem and router functions.”
