(TP-Link)
The US’s ban on foreign-made routers looks poised to block an upcoming Wi-Fi 8 router from TP-Link, unless the company can receive exemption.
Wi-Fi 7 is only two years old, but TP-Link is rushing ahead with plans to launch a Wi-Fi 8 router this October, even though the wireless standard won’t be finalized until 2028. On Thursday, the company announced the Archer 8, its first Wi-Fi 8 router platform, which promises to offer better signal quality and interference protection over Wi-Fi 7.
“Archer 8 is designed to address common frustrations users experience today, including inconsistent speeds across rooms, congestion from multiple connected devices, unstable mesh roaming, and latency spikes during gaming, video calls, and streaming,” the company said.
The only problem is that TP-Link manufactures its products in Vietnam. And so far, the company hasn’t received a temporary exemption from the Federal Communications Commission, permitting it to sell new foreign-made routers under the current ban. Without the exemption, TP-Link can only sell older models in the US that already received FCC authorization.
(TP-Link)Although Wi-Fi 8 could be easily dismissed as excessive, TP-Link’s upcoming product highlights a concern that the US’s router ban threatens to deny consumers access to cutting-edge networking gear. Nearly all routers are made outside the US, according to one industry trade group. Even Starlink Wi-Fi routers can come from Vietnam.
In TP-Link’s case, the company plans on releasing more cutting-edge Wi-Fi 8 products, including a mesh system, travel router and extender, in 2027. In addition, the same ban could block Asus, which is also preparing a range of Wi-Fi 8 products by the end of this year.
For now, only a few US companies, such as Netgear, Amazon’s eero and Adtran, along with Nokia Corporation, have received short-term exemptions to the ban, giving them an 18-month window to receive FCC authorization to sell their new router models in the US.
TP-Link didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But last month, the company told the FCC it was investing “hundreds of millions of dollars” into bringing its product manufacturing and R&D to the US. However, the company suggested it could only complete the investments if it received a short-term exemption to the ban.
Originally founded as part of a Chinese brand, TP-Link has been emphasizing its status as a US company headquartered in Irvine, California, after officially spinning off from its Chinese counterpart in 2024. Still, US officials have long been concerned that TP-Link products could pose a spying threat, citing the company’s alleged ties to the Chinese government.
TP-Link has long denied it poses a threat. Even so, the White House in March initiated the ban, but targeted all foreign-made consumer grade routers, citing the risk of supply chain vulnerabilities and how Chinese-state-sponsored hackers had exploited vulnerable Wi-Fi routers before. The resulting policy could shift more tech manufacturing to the US, a major goal under the Trump administration. But experts fear it could also lead to higher costs for consumers while stifling innovation since building new factories requires time and possibly billions in extra investment.
UPDATE: TP-Link told PCMag: “TP-Link Systems Inc. is pioneering Wi-Fi 8 technology for users around the world, with regional availability to be announced closer to launch. For the US market, TP-Link Systems Inc. will follow the same process the FCC has laid out for all companies. We remain committed to providing innovative, reliable and secure connectivity solutions for American consumers.”