FCC Extends Waiver for Foreign Routers and Drones Until 2029

The Federal Communications Commission has extended a waiver allowing software updates for foreign-made routers and drones until January 1, 2029. This decision pushes back the original deadline of early 2027 when support was scheduled to cease. The Office of Engineering and Technology granted the extension following a request from the Consumer Technology Association. The agency cited public safety and consumer protection as the primary reasons for the deviation from standard rules.

Major brands including TP-Link and DJI fall under new framework

The updated waiver covers Class I permissive changes which include essential security patches and bug fixes. It also permits limited Class II changes that serve consumer interests. Major brands including TP-Link, Asus, Huawei, DJI, Netgear, and Amazon fall under this regulatory framework. New imports of these foreign-made devices remain effectively banned under current prohibitions.

TP-Link stated that it invested hundreds of millions of dollars to bring manufacturing and research to the United States. This investment aligns with the FCC's policy goals for domestic production. DJI and TP-Link are currently challenging the rules or seeking specific exemptions. Netgear and Amazon have already met the regulatory requirements to operate within the United States.

The FCC noted that the limited duration of this waiver reduces potential harm to the public interest. This timeframe also provides the Commission an opportunity to reconsider future rulemaking on this subject. The extension ensures that existing devices continue to receive critical security updates for several more years.