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In letters dated October 15, 2026, the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology made some damning claims about TP-Link's reporting practices. Specifically, the FCC alleged that TP-Link "included false or incorrect information in its applications” related to equipment authorizations for four individual router models (including high-end Archer models ).
For a company that truly needs to dot every "i" and cross every "t" when it comes to a Trump administration that is increasingly skeptical of TP-Link's past ties and motives, any perceived missteps are even more magnified. However, in addition to the alleged wonky product information provided to the FCC, perhaps more troubling is that three of the four routers under scrutiny also had higher-than-allowed power usage levels.
In addition to power limits, the FCC's testing regimen for routers includes evaluations of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), radio frequency (RF) emissions, and national security compliance . The latter has been a big sticking point with the FCC and the U.S. Department of Defense given the proliferation of TP-Link networking gear in civilian and governmental capacities.
We reached out to TP-Link about the FCC’s findings and were provided with the following statement:
TP-Link proposes $1 billion US Wi-Fi router manufacturing alliance with Key Tronic
Asus routers gain FCC's 'Conditional Approval' for sale in the US as TP-Link remains locked out
TP-Link opens global preorders for its first Wi-Fi 8 router, but ban keeps it out of US market
"Routine spot checks have been a standard FCC practice across the consumer electronics industry for many years, and individual product test results can occasionally vary.
TP-Link Systems fully supports the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology and its role of ensuring that all manufacturers adhere to prescribed specifications for their certified products. We remain fully committed to working collaboratively with the FCC to resolve any technical questions that arise — and if necessary, address any confirmed technical issues as swiftly as possible."
For its part, TP-Link has made some significant moves to get in the good graces of the U.S. government, even while competitors like Amazon , Asus , and Netgear have sailed through compliance checks to gain conditional approval to sell wireless products in the U.S. Besides moving its U.S. headquarters to California, the company earlier this month announced a $1 billion joint venture with Key Tronic to manufacture Wi-Fi 8 routers in the U.S.
Brandon Hill Social Links Navigation Senior Editor Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons.
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/networking/routers/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/networking/routers/fcc-rebuffs-tp-link-again-as-it-attempts-to-sell-wi-fi-8-gear-in-the-us-fcc-alleges-inaccurate-documentation-and-out-of-spec-power-levels-for-routers#main
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