Months after banning all foreign routers and subsequently approving some of them in weeks, the FCC is back at it again, and this time robots and power inverters are in its crosshairs.
The Federal Communications Commission has added two new entries to its Covered List, and this time the targets are advanced robots and power inverters made outside the US. The move follows a White House-led security review that flagged both categories as genuine risks to national security.
We are talking about mobile robots like humanoids and quadrupeds, along with the connected power inverters used across the US power grid. According to the agencies behind the decision, these devices could open the door to supply chain vulnerabilities and cybersecurity threats aimed at America’s critical infrastructure.
What actually changes now?
Going forward, new models of foreign-made advanced robots and power inverters will not be able to get FCC equipment authorization, which is the green light every device needs before it can be sold, imported, or marketed in the US. Manufacturers do get one escape hatch, though. If the Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security grants a company “Conditional Approval,” their devices can still go through the FCC’s approval process.
Does this affect the robot or inverter you already own?
The short answer is no. The FCC made it clear that this only applies to new device models going forward. If you already own an affected robot or inverter, you can keep using it, and retailers can keep selling existing approved models. Purchases and use by the federal government are also completely untouched.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr backed the decision, saying he welcomes the move and sees it as the Commission staying in step with the national security agencies working to protect America’s supply chain.
This is the latest in a string of FCC actions targeting foreign-made tech, following similar restrictions on drones and consumer routers earlier this year. Robots and inverters are just the newest names on a growing list, and it probably won’t be the last.
