Caretta Research released a report on the immediate and long-term effects of the FCC’s recent ban of foreign-made consumer-grade routers from being imported and sold in the United States. According to the analysis, the short-term impact of the ban will have limited effects, as the ban only applies to new routers. However, the longer‑term risks may be more significant. The ban could slow innovation in router features and services that providers increasingly rely on to differentiate themselves among customers in a saturated market. Without flexible FCC exemptions and interim solutions, the report concludes the ban could also undermine America’s broadband competitiveness at a time when the economy is increasingly dependent on high‑quality home broadband connectivity.
