On July 21, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) updated its Secure Networks Act Covered List, adding new Conditional Approvals for foreign-made routers and converting every listed drone exemption from a fixed December 31, 2026 cutoff to an open-ended, indefinite basis. For US equipment-authorization leads, the update widens the roster of routers that may still be imported and marketed despite the March 2026 Covered List ban, and it removes the year-end cliff that drone makers had been racing to beat.
The Covered List, maintained under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. section 1601), bars listed equipment from obtaining FCC authorization. Since March 23, 2026, it has covered routers produced in a foreign country, with the sole escape hatch a Conditional Approval granted by DoW or DHS. The July 21 refresh adds five router approvals and rewrites the UAS expiration terms.
Which router makers won new Conditional Approvals, and until when?
Five foreign-made router product lines gained Conditional Approval in the weeks leading into the July 21 update, each carrying its own expiration date rather than a single common cutoff. They join earlier approvals for Netgear, eero, Calix, Nokia, Sagemcom, Arcadyan and Alpha Networks. Once an approval window closes, the foreign-made router falls back under the Covered List ban and can no longer be imported or marketed in the United States absent a renewal. The approvals are product-specific: a sibling model not listed has no exemption.
| Router maker | Products approved | Approval window |
|---|---|---|
| Hitron Technologies Americas | DOCSIS 4.0 and 3.1, XGSPON, standalone Wi-Fi, 5G FWA gateways and hotspots | June 22, 2026 to December 18, 2027 |
| Vantiva USA | CWA438TX router | July 8, 2026 to January 3, 2028 |
| Gemtek Technology | WRTQ-411BE and WNRFQQ-113BE routers | July 10, 2026 to January 3, 2028 |
| Gryphon Safety Online | Parental Control WiFi Router | July 20, 2026 to January 10, 2028 |
| Sercomm Corporation | Air4992 Wi-Fi 7 Router | July 20, 2026 to January 10, 2028 |
The underlying determination is set out in the March 2026 National Security Determination on routers, and the FCC announced the latest batch in its July 20, 2026 Public Notice. The staggered end dates, from December 2027 through January 2028, mean renewal planning cannot be batched into a single exercise.
How did the UAS Conditional Approvals change?
The same July 21 update removed the December 31, 2026 expiration that had applied to UAS Conditional Approvals. Under the revised National Security Determination on UAS (July 21, 2026), approvals that carry no termination date now remain effective indefinitely, provided the recipient abides by the onshoring plan in its application and submits to updated product vetting. All 15 listed UAS approvals, from SiFly and Mobilicom through Air6, Elevon, Blueflite and Ceres Air, now show an open-ended start date with no end date.
The practical shift is that drone makers no longer face a hard year-end deadline to renew or replace their exemption. The trade-off is ongoing: the approval is conditional on continued onshoring compliance, and the FCC can pull it if vetting changes. Foreign-produced UAS remain on the Covered List; the exemption is personal to each approved product, not a blanket for the category.
Who must act, and what does the importation prohibition track add?
The update matters first to foreign-made router and CPE OEMs selling into the US: if your model is on the Covered List and not covered by a Conditional Approval, it cannot be imported or marketed, and the only path to market is a DoW or DHS approval. Router OEMs whose approvals expire in late 2027 or early January 2028 should begin renewal filings now, because the gap between expiry and a renewed approval is a no-sale period. UAS OEMs should treat the indefinite exemption as conditional, not permanent, and keep onshoring-plan documentation current.
Separately, the page formalizes the importation and marketing prohibition process codified at 47 CFR section 2.939(e). Under the EA Security Second Report and Order, the PSHSB and OET can limit existing authorizations on equipment added to the Covered List in 2024 or earlier: they issue a Public Notice, allow at least 30 days for comment, and run a public interest analysis before applying the limit. Prohibitions take effect generally 10 days after Federal Register publication. Compliance leads holding legacy authorizations for Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision or Dahua equipment should treat this as the live enforcement track, not a theoretical one.
Continuous, per-jurisdiction monitoring of the Covered List surfaces these conditional-approval and prohibition changes the moment the FCC publishes them, before a no-sale window opens.
Take advantage of this real-time watch
Next steps: confirm whether each router or UAS model you ship into the United States appears on the Covered List and, if so, whether a Conditional Approval covers it; diarize the approval expiration date and start renewal at least 90 days out; and brief your import and product teams on the 47 CFR section 2.939(e) prohibition track for any legacy authorized equipment.
