The Federal Communications Commission announced on Friday, May 8, through its Office of Engineering and Technology (OET), that it was extending temporary waivers allowing certain foreign-produced drones, drone components, and consumer routers to continue receiving software and firmware updates in the United States.
In late 2025 and early 2026, the FCC added these categories of equipment to its “Covered List,” which effectively blocked already-authorized devices from receiving post-approval software and firmware modifications. The agency subsequently issued waivers permitting critical security and functionality updates to continue through January 1, 2027, for drones and drone components, and through March 1, 2027, for consumer routers.
Under the updated waiver, manufacturers of affected devices will now be allowed to continue issuing software and firmware updates until at least January 1, 2029, provided the devices had already been authorized for use in the U.S. before being added to the FCC’s “Covered List.” The extension also broadens the waiver to include certain Class II permissive changes involving software and firmware updates intended to mitigate consumer harm.
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The decision follows growing concern that a strict enforcement of the restrictions could unintentionally leave millions of existing devices vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, compatibility issues, and operational failures. In practical terms, without the waiver, manufacturers of affected products could have been blocked from deploying even basic security patches and bug fixes once the devices were designated as covered equipment.
The FCC first added foreign-produced unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), UAS critical components, and certain communications equipment to the Covered List in late 2025 as part of broader national security efforts to reduce reliance on potentially risky foreign technology infrastructure….
