USA: FCC Covered List Routers Win Conditional Approval

USA: Two More Routers Exempted From the FCC Covered List Under DoW Conditional Approval (DA 26-756)

On July 20, 2026, the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) released Public Notice DA 26-756, exempting two additional foreign produced routers from the FCC Covered List. The exemptions did not originate with the FCC. They flow from Conditional Approvals granted by the U.S. Department of War (DoW) a distinction that determines who a manufacturer must actually petition to keep its products authorizable in the United States.

This notice is not a standalone event. It is the latest entry in a fast moving series of exemptions issued since foreign produced consumer routers were added to the Covered List in March 2026, and it operates entirely within that framework.

Regulatory context: how routers ended up on the Covered List

The FCC maintains the Covered List under Section 2 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 and sections 1.50002(a) and 1.50003 of its rules. Equipment on the list is deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security, and critically for manufacturers covered equipment cannot receive new FCC equipment authorizations.

On March 23, 2026 (Public Notice DA 26-278), the FCC added a new category to the Covered List:

"Routers produced in a foreign country, except routers which have been granted a Conditional Approval by DoW or DHS."

That addition was driven by a National Security Determination issued by an Executive Branch interagency body, which concluded that foreign produced routers can introduce supply chain vulnerabilities threatening U.S. national security. The determination also built in the escape valve now being exercised: entities producing routers abroad may ask the Department of War (DoW) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to evaluate a specific device or class of devices. If the agency determines the device does not pose an unacceptable risk, it issues a Conditional Approval, and the FCC is then required to update the Covered List to exclude that equipment.

What the July 20 FCC Covered List routers update actually did

DA 26-756 announces that DoW reviewed the relevant submissions and granted Conditional Approvals for two devices, which the FCC has correspondingly removed from Covered List coverage:

Device	Producer	Conditional Approval window
Parental Control WiFi Router	Gryphon Safety Online, Inc.	July 20, 2026 – January 10, 2028
Air4992 Wi-Fi 7 Router	Sercomm Corporation	July 20, 2026 – January 10, 2028

Three points define the legal mechanics of this action:

1. DoW is the approving authority, not the FCC. The notice is explicit that DoW granted the Conditional Approval. The FCC treats each Conditional Approval as "a specific determination" by DoW that the device does not pose a national-security risk, and PSHSB is required  not merely permitted to update the Covered List accordingly. The FCC does not independently assess the device.

2. The exemptions are time limited. Both approvals terminate on January 10, 2028. A Conditional Approval is not a permanent clearance; it is a defined window after which the exemption lapses absent further action.

3. The exemption restores authorizability. Once a device is exempt, it is no longer barred from receiving new FCC equipment authorizations. Removal from Covered List coverage is what allows the device back into the certification pipeline.

   
   

The notice was issued under WC Docket No. 18-89, ET Docket No. 21-232, and EA Docket No. 21-233, and the updated Covered List and Conditional Approvals roster appear as Appendices A and B, mirrored on the Bureau's website.

A cadence, not a one off: the growing Conditional Approvals roster

DA 26-756 is one of many router Conditional Approval notices issued in 2026. Appendix B already lists a substantial and expanding roster of exempted routers from producers including Netgear, eero, Nokia, Calix, Adtran, Sagemcom, Arcadyan, Hitron, Alpha Networks, Gemtek, Vantiva, and Miri Technologies, each with its own approval window and termination date. For manufacturers, the practical implication is that the roster is checked and updated continuously the authoritative status of any given device can change between notices, and each approval carries its own expiry.

What this means for manufacturers

For manufacturers, importers, and their certification partners, DA 26-756 clarifies the operating rules rather than changing them. The actionable takeaways:

1. Petition the right agency. If your foreign produced router is on the Covered List, the path to authorization runs through DoW or DHS, not the FCC. Filing quality goes to the security agency's evaluation; the FCC's role is administrative once approval is granted.

2. Treat the exemption as expiring. Every Conditional Approval carries a termination date (January 10, 2028 for the two July 20 devices). Build the expiry into product lifecycle and re authorization planning; do not assume perpetual clearance.

3. Verify device-level status, not brand level. Approvals attach to specific models, series, or part numbers not to a company as a whole. A producer with several approved lines can still have unapproved models that remain covered.

4. Check the live roster before every authorization filing. Because notices issue on a rolling basis, confirm a device's current status against the FCC's published Covered List and Appendix B immediately before submitting for authorization.

5. Foreign producers are not "identified on the Covered List." Per FCC FAQ guidance, entities producing routers abroad are not themselves listed entities; only their covered devices are restricted. This preserves their ability to pursue Conditional Approvals and subsequent authorizations.

6. Engage FCC staff guidance early. The notice confirms Commission staff will advise Telecommunication Certification Bodies (TCBs), test labs, and applicants on the impact of these updates.

   
   

Certification impact summary

Dimension	Before Conditional Approval	After Conditional Approval (DA 26-756)
Covered List status	Covered (foreign-produced router)	Exempt (specific device)
New FCC equipment authorization	Prohibited	Permitted
Approving authority	—	Department of War (DoW)
FCC role	Maintains Covered List	Ministerial update to exclude device
Duration	Indefinite while covered	Fixed window, terminates Jan 10, 2028
Scope of relief	—	Named device/model only
Affected parties	Manufacturers, importers, TCBs, test labs	Same, plus authorization applicants

Timeline and required actions

Date	Event	Required action / status
Mar 20, 2026	National Security Determination on foreign-produced routers	Baseline: security risk finding established
Mar 23, 2026	Foreign-produced routers added to Covered List (DA 26-278)	Covered routers barred from new FCC authorizations
Apr 14, 2026	First router/UAS Conditional Approvals and exemptions (DA 26-351)	Petition pathway confirmed via DoW/DHS
Jul 20, 2026	DA 26-756 — Gryphon and Sercomm routers exempted	Devices become authorizable; verify status on FCC roster
Now → Jan 10, 2028	Exemption window for the two July 20 devices	Complete authorization work; plan for expiry
Jan 10, 2028	Conditional Approvals terminate	Re-confirm status; secure renewal/further determination as needed