Asus has secured a conditional regulatory waiver from the Federal Communications Commission to continue selling foreign manufactured routers in the United States. The regulatory clearance covers major networking lines and clears a path for the company to launch its upcoming Wi Fi 8 hardware. But the decision leaves rival brand TP Link locked out of new hardware releases for now.
Federal regulators placed all foreign made consumer networking gear on a restricted list earlier this year, blocking uncertified imports unless approved by defense and homeland security officials. Asus now holds official clearance valid through early 2028. The approval protects extensive product lines including ROG GT, ROG Strix GS, TUF Gaming, RT series, ZenWiFi Mesh, ExpertWiFi, and 5G MiFi hardware along with wireless access points and repeaters.
This regulatory decision comes right as Asus prepares a global rollout for its flagship Wi Fi 8 hardware. The ROG Rapture GT BN98 Pro promises real world throughput speeds that reach 2x the performance of Wi Fi 7 hardware. Other brands including Netgear, SpaceX Starlink, Nokia, Zyxel, and Amazon Eero have also received conditional waivers to import new hardware into the American market.
The situation looks very different for TP Link, which controls roughly 20% of the American consumer router market. The company has not secured federal clearance for its upcoming hardware lineup. That delay creates uncertainty around planned releases for the Archer 8 Ultra and Deco 8 Ultra. TP Link representatives met with government officials, arguing that their products ship from factories in Vietnam under a California based corporate entity, but regulatory approval remains stalled.
The current restrictions apply only to new hardware models requiring fresh authorization. Existing routers already certified by federal regulators can still be sold, operated, and updated with firmware patches without interruption.
