(Credit: Tim Belfall)
The US ban on foreign-made Wi-Fi routers could ensnare Starlink since SpaceX has been manufacturing at least some routers in Vietnam.
That said, it shouldn’t be hard for the company to sidestep the restrictions, given SpaceX’s Starlink factory in Texas. And the government has already exempted three US companies.
Last month, the BBC reported that Starlink appeared to be unaffected by the router ban, since "Starlink routers are made in Texas." But the statement isn’t entirely accurate, and may be causing some misinformation.
PCMag's Brian Westover notes that his Starlink Wi-Fi routers, the Gen 3 and Gen 2, say “Made in the USA.” But other Starlink dish owners have reported their routers saying “Made in Vietnam.” This includes the Router Mini, which SpaceX introduced last year. A 2025 regulatory filing with the Federal Communications Commission also says “Made in Vietnam” on the device.
Tim Belfall, a director at Starlink installer Westend WiFi, is based in the UK and has access to several routers. He told PCMag he’s seen both the Router Mini and the Gen 3 Router devices listed as being manufactured in Vietnam. He also showed us two older Gen 2 routers: one made in Taiwan and the other in the USA.
It’s not exactly a surprise, considering the tech industry has long relied on electronics manufacturers in Asia to help them pump out large quantities of products at affordable prices. A study by the Global Electronics Association found that the US is importing router products mainly from Vietnam, Mexico, and Taiwan, shifting away from China due to US tariffs.
In SpaceX’s case, the company recently updated the Router Mini with a higher price and a new proprietary power-over-Ethernet capability. But the new model is still manufactured in Vietnam, according to the Starlink-focused YouTube channel DISHYTech, which bought the product.
SpaceX didn’t respond to a request for comment, making it unclear how the company will approach the US router ban. But the restriction only affects new, foreign-made Wi-Fi routers, not any existing products already available in the US. Thus, SpaceX can keep selling the Vietnamese-made Router Minis to US consumers.
The company has also been expanding its Starlink factory in Bastrop, Texas, suggesting it can shift more router production to the US. Theoretically, customers outside the country could receive routers sourced from Asia.
Still, the FCC is indicating the ban can affect US-manufactured routers if they contain a foreign-produced “modular transmitter.” That could be an issue for Starlink hardware. For example, the Mini dish—which features a built-in router—and the Gen 2 router have been known to use the MT7629, a Wi-Fi-related chip from Taiwanese chip vendor MediaTek.
As a result, it’s possible SpaceX will join others in applying for an exemption to the US’s router ban. To do so, a company needs to provide a detailed plan to migrate its manufacturing to the US, along with the “country of origin for all components in the router.”
So far, the Defense Department has issued the reprieve to Netgear, Adtran, and Amazon’s eero brand, all of which are US companies. Amazon also received an exemption for future routers for the company’s Starlink challenger, Leo. An exemption is good for up to 18 months, but the FCC’s guidance says companies can apply for an extension by submitting an “inventory of the progress made on the US manufacturing and onshoring plans submitted for all previous covered approvals.”