The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tweaked its ban on imports of all foreign-produced routers to include routers that connect to a cellular network.

The sweeping restrictions were introduced in late March, and bars devices containing components produced outside the U.S. from being brought into the country over national security fears.

In an update to the related FAQ page, first spotted by PCMag, consumer-grade LTE/5G customer premises equipment (CPE) devices for “residential use” have been added to the list of systems facing restrictions.

Such devices feature SIM cards, which users can employ to connect to the internet using 4G or 5G instead of traditional wired broadband. The device itself converts cellular signals from the SIM card into a local high-speed Wi-Fi network, and are optimal for use in settings where traditional cable infrastructure is too costly or impractical to employ.

Also joining CPE devices on the FCC’s import ban are consumer-grade Wi-Fi hot spot devices, with any new devices produced barred from being imported to the U.S.

The rules do not affect previously purchased systems, with the FAQ page detailing that analog telephone adapters (ATAs) with Ethernet LAN or WAN ports; optical network terminals (ONTs); and Industrial, enterprise, or military equipment are also exempt. Mobile phones with hot spot features – which are inherently consumer devices – are also not subject to the import ban.

The rules were introduced on the back of growing cybersecurity attacks, including the infamous Salt Typhoon breaches, with the agency warning foreign-made routers could be exploited to “attack American households” and facilitate network disruptions and espionage.

Vendors can skirt the rules if they apply for status as a trusted consumer router company. NetGear, one of the first firms to be granted this conditional status, has until March 1, 2027, before it will be required to seek routine renewal.

The FCC’s move is not without its detractors, with the Global Electronics Association (GEA) trade group warning that “virtually no consumer router is manufactured entirely within the U.S.”

“The scale of the affected market, more than 100 million devices in active use, tens-of-millions of units imported annually, and a replacement cycle that touches virtually every home and small business, makes implementation far more consequential than the drone precedent that preceded it," a GEA report published in the wake of the ban states.