FCC extends critical update window for banned foreign drones and routers to 2029

The Federal Communications Commission has issued a notice permitting software and firmware updates for banned foreign-made drones and routers until January 1, 2029. This decision extends the previous update deadline by approximately two years, citing special circumstances where the public interest is better served by waiving prohibitions on these devices. The announcement, issued by the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology on May 8, specifically covers updates that mitigate harm to US consumers.

This regulatory shift follows a series of actions taken by the agency to address national security concerns regarding overseas-manufactured communications equipment. In December 2025, the FCC added uncrewed aircraft systems and their components to its Covered List of communications equipment posing national security concerns. Shortly thereafter, the agency added routers manufactured outside the US to the list, initially allowing updates only through March 1, 2027. The current notice represents a significant deviation from these general rules regarding the ban on these devices.

The move to extend the deadline comes after lobbying from the Consumer Technology Association. The trade organisation suggested to the FCC that updates and patches for previously authorised devices should be extended beyond the initial one-year limit. In correspondence with the regulator, the CTA also requested further clarification on the scope of products affected by the ban and called for more collaboration with the National Security Council and Department of Defense to provide transparency and guidance to manufacturers.

While the FCC has granted the extension, the specific criteria for which devices qualify as banned versus those merely under scrutiny are not fully detailed in the available source material. Furthermore, the exact mechanism for how manufacturers will receive these updates or the specific security protocols required for the 2029 deadline are not elaborated upon in the official notice. The regulation leaves some ambiguity regarding the precise boundaries of the waiver.

The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology argued in favour of the extension, stating that special circumstances warrant a deviation from the general rules. The agency concluded that the public interest would be better served by extending the waiver of the prohibitions, allowing affected users to continue receiving critical software maintenance for their hardware. This approach balances the need for national security oversight with the practical necessity of maintaining device functionality for consumers.