The Trump administration today exempted SpaceX’s Starlink routers from the Federal Communications Commission ban on foreign-made routers.
A public notice issued by the FCC said Starlink routers received approval from the Department of War (also known as the Department of Defense). SpaceX’s exemption is good until February 1, 2028.
The FCC kicked off an industry-wide scramble when it updated the Covered List to include all consumer-grade routers made at least partly outside the US, except those that are granted exemptions. The Covered List includes devices deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to national security. Given that routers are generally built outside the US or at least contain foreign-made components, all major vendors need exemptions.
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