Router maker TP-Link has told the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that it would begin assembling its upcoming Wi-Fi 8 routers in the United States by next year, as part of what it calls a “nearly $1 billion investment in America.” The proposal appears in a letter the company sent to the FCC on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, PCMag reported.
This is a proposal set out in a letter, not a finished commitment. PCMag reported that TP-Link appears to tie the investment to winning “Conditional Approval,” an exemption from the US ban on new foreign-made router models. TSN has not been able to read the filing itself; the quotes below are from the letter as reported by PCMag.
What the letter says
“As part of this investment, TP-Link would begin assembling these Wi-Fi 8 devices in the United States by next year, and the devices will incorporate software and firmware developed, written, and stored in the United States by TP-Link’s US engineering organization,” the four-page letter says, according to PCMag.
The letter also shows that TP-Link has applied for Conditional Approval. “The application seeks approval for two forthcoming Wi-Fi 8 routers that TP-Link plans to introduce globally later this year,” it says, according to PCMag.
TP-Link makes its case in competitive terms. “TP-Link was the first company to offer Wi-Fi 7 routers to US consumers and is poised to be the first company to offer Wi-Fi 8 routers as well if its Conditional Approval application is approved,” the letter says, as quoted by PCMag. It adds that approval “would guarantee American consumers access to the same cutting-edge wireless equipment that will soon be available in other parts of the world.”
PCMag noted that TP-Link has already opened pre-orders for its first Wi-Fi 8 router, but only outside the US because of the ban. It said TP-Link did not immediately respond to its request for comment.
The router ban and Conditional Approval
The FCC announced its ban on new foreign-made Wi-Fi router models in March, PCMag reported, even though nearly all Wi-Fi routers are made outside the US. Since then, the White House has temporarily exempted many major vendors, but not TP-Link, according to PCMag.
According to The Verge, Netgear and Asus both received exemptions without promising to make routers in the US. The Verge said the FCC’s paperwork requires companies to commit to US manufacturing to get an exemption.
PCMag reported that TP-Link’s application will be reviewed by either the Pentagon or the Department of Homeland Security, not by the FCC itself.
The security scrutiny
TP-Link has faced long-running allegations that it has ties to China and the Chinese government, PCMag reported. The company denies them. According to PCMag, TP-Link has split from its Chinese counterpart, moved its global headquarters to Irvine, California, and says it makes its US products at a factory in Vietnam.
Last week, attorneys general in four US states sued TP-Link, claiming it misled the public about the security of its routers and their alleged Chinese origin, PCMag reported.
Separately, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers led a coalition of 21 state attorneys general in a letter to the FCC raising concerns about TP-Link’s request for Conditional Approval, according to his office. The release claims TP-Link controls “at least 60 percent” of the US retail market for Wi-Fi systems and small-office/home-office routers. “TP-Link’s products and systems still have strong connections to China, and its supply chain continues to be intertwined with China’s state-sponsored technology ecosystem,” Hilgers said.
In their letter, as quoted by PCMag, the attorneys general said “only 0.5% of TP-Link components are bought in Vietnam,” citing Bloomberg reporting they say TP-Link confirmed. They also alleged that TP-Link’s Vietnam facility “has connections to the Chinese military.” These are allegations, and TP-Link disputes them.
TP-Link’s response
TP-Link’s letter pushes back, saying the concerns rest on “debunked allegations,” PCMag reported. It says its confidential application includes “disclosures regarding corporate structure and the manufacturing and supply chain for the router(s).”
“TP-Link does not, and will not, share customer network data with foreign governments or unauthorized third parties,” the letter says, according to PCMag. It also says the company’s US product data is encrypted and housed on Amazon Web Services infrastructure in Virginia.
The company argues the attorneys general want federal officials “to apply a heightened standard to TP-Link’s pending application that would be unattainable to TP-Link or any other router manufacturer in the world.”
What we don’t know
- Whether the Pentagon or DHS will grant Conditional Approval, and when.
- Whether the nearly $1 billion investment would go ahead without approval.
- Where the US assembly would take place, and how much of each router would be made in the US.
What this means
- A conditional offer. TP-Link’s US assembly plan is presented alongside its request for an exemption, not as a standalone pledge.
- Security fight continues. State attorneys general are pressing federal officials to reject TP-Link’s application.
- Wi-Fi 8 timing at stake. Without approval, TP-Link’s Wi-Fi 8 routers stay off US shelves.
Sources
- PCMag, “TP-Link Eyes Assembling Wi-Fi 8 Routers in US as Soon as Next Year”, Michael Kan, updated 15 October 2026. https://au.pcmag.com/wireless-routers/120444/tp-link-eyes-assembling-wi-fi-8-routers-in-us-as-soon-as-next-year
- TP-Link letter to the FCC, 13 October 2026 (ECFS; not accessible to TSN). https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/26110081141/1
- The Verge, “Unlike Netgear and Asus, TP-Link says it’s prepared to spend $1 billion to make Wi-Fi routers in the US”, 14 October 2026. https://www.theverge.com/policy/1011722/unlike-netgear-and-asus-tp-link-says-its-prepared-to-spend-1-billion-to-make-wi-fi-routers-in-the-us
- Nebraska Attorney General, “Attorney General Hilgers Leads Multi-State Coalition Raising Concerns Over TP-Link’s China Ties”. https://ago.nebraska.gov/attorney-general-hilgers-leads-multi-state-coalition-raising-concerns-over-tp-links-china-ties
