Portable Wi-Fi Hotspots To Face A Similar Ban To Routers In The US

Source: Slashdot Portable Wi-Fi Hotspots To Face A Similar Ban To Routers In The US

This Ban Does Not Include Cellphones Nor Existing Products

The FCC seems to have learned from their recent blanket ban of foreign made routers and while they are doing something similar with Wi-Fi hotspots it will not be quite as confusing.  The ban will only apply to new hotspot products released by non-US companies, it won’t mean products that are currently available will be removed from shelves.  That makes it somewhat less confusing that the original wording of the router ban, which has undergone some modification after it was first announced.  There are now exceptions to some consumer routers models, over and above the D-Link exception. 

On the other hand, there is no evidence that the router ban is making anyone safer.  The FCC has extended their ban to include “consumer-grade portable or mobile MiFi Wi-Fi or hotspot devices” very quickly and it is unclear if they ban will extend to even more technology.  Hopefully calmer heads will prevail and they will wait to see if their bans are beneficial or just another piece of security theatre. 

However, the FCC's FAQ now specifies that "consumer-grade portable or mobile MiFi Wi-Fi or hotspot devices for residential use" are covered under the ban.

Video News

About The Author

Jeremy Hellstrom

Call it K7M.com, AMDMB.com, or PC Perspective, Jeremy has been hanging out and then working with the gang here for years. Apart from the front page you might find him on the BOINC Forums or possibly the Fraggin' Frogs if he has the time.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Latest Podcasts

Archive & Timeline

Previous 12 months
Explore: All The Years!