US FCC Warns TP-Link Over Four Routers Exceeding Power Limits
nashnova research
The FCC found TP-Link submitted false information in four Wi-Fi router applications — three exceeded power limits in testing. Combined with probes by Commerce, Justice, and the FTC, the largest router seller in the U.S. now faces a real path to a sales ban.
What exactly did the FCC find?
The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology sent two letters on October 15, ruling that TP-Link submitted "false or incorrect information" in equipment-authorization filings for four routers — three exceeded power limits in lab testing.
The flagged products range from a nearly $600 high-end "Archer" gaming router to a nearly $140 entry-level travel router — spanning both ends of the lineup.
The FCC set an October 30 deadline for a detailed response and required that its national-security team be copied on all correspondence. This means → the agency is framing this as a national-security matter, not a routine technical compliance check.
How did TP-Link respond?
TP-Link corporate-affairs officer Steve Kovsky said the company would review the data, retest if necessary, and fix any issues found.
He stressed that the four products account for less than 0.3% of TP-Link's U.S. sales this year, calling any potential violation "not indicative of anything unusual."
In plain terms = TP-Link is arguing these are niche products and any problem is an isolated case, not a systemic flaw. The FCC clearly sees it differently.
Why might this end in more than a fine?
TP-Link settled a similar power-violation case in 2016 with a $200,000 fine — lawyers familiar with FCC process say such probes can be routine compliance checks.
But this time may be different: federal and state authorities are running parallel actions — investigations by Commerce, Justice, and the FTC, plus lawsuits from multiple states. The pressure is coming from every direction.
Carnegie Endowment scholar Geoffrey Irving noted that FCC Chair Brendan Carr is using "novel approaches" with existing and new rules to address national-security risks. This reflects a markedly harder enforcement stance under Trump's second term.
Competitors cleared — why is TP-Link stuck?
In March, the FCC banned sales of all new foreign-made routers unless a company receives an exemption on security grounds.
Rivals Netgear, Amazon's Eero, and Asus have all been granted exemptions. TP-Link has not.
TP-Link recently pledged $1 billion in U.S. factory investment to win regulatory clearance. This means → the company knows its position is precarious and is betting on localization to buy survival room — but the power-violation case breaking now weakens its negotiating hand further.
市场有风险，内容仅供研究参考，不构成投资建议。