{"version":"1.0.0","segments":[{"startTime":0.16,"endTime":3.88,"body":"Welcome to the Tech Tip Podcast with Greg Doig, where we filter out the"},{"startTime":3.88,"endTime":7.68,"body":"noise and serve up the week's essential tech news tips and guides."},{"startTime":8.16,"endTime":11.36,"body":"Today, we're pouring a perfect blend of tech topics and digital"},{"startTime":11.36,"endTime":15.16,"body":"innovations that matter to you. Welcome back, tech"},{"startTime":15.16,"endTime":18.84,"body":"enthusiasts. I'm your host, Craig Doig. Today we're talking about"},{"startTime":18.84,"endTime":22.36,"body":"your router. The FCC just made a decision that could change"},{"startTime":22.36,"endTime":26.0,"body":"everything about how those devices get made, sold and"},{"startTime":26.0,"endTime":29.78,"body":"updated going forward. And there are some wild loopholes"},{"startTime":29.78,"endTime":33.58,"body":"buried in the fine print. So let's take a look. Here's the headline."},{"startTime":33.98,"endTime":37.82,"body":"The FCC has effectively banned new consumer routers from"},{"startTime":37.82,"endTime":41.02,"body":"being brought into the United States unless they're"},{"startTime":41.02,"endTime":44.74,"body":"entirely made domestically. Now, before you look over"},{"startTime":44.74,"endTime":48.54,"body":"your shoulder and look at your router and panic, we'll get to what this"},{"startTime":48.54,"endTime":52.06,"body":"means for you in a minute. Stick with me. The FCC"},{"startTime":52.22,"endTime":55.9,"body":"has authority over any device that emits RF radiation."},{"startTime":55.98,"endTime":59.53,"body":"Those are radio frequency signals. That's how your"},{"startTime":59.53,"endTime":63.37,"body":"router talks to your phone, your laptop, your smart tv. And"},{"startTime":63.37,"endTime":67.21,"body":"before any of those devices can be legally manufactured and sold"},{"startTime":67.21,"endTime":70.97,"body":"in the US they need FCC approval. So"},{"startTime":70.97,"endTime":74.69,"body":"what's changed? The FCC has added routers produced"},{"startTime":74.69,"endTime":78.13,"body":"in any foreign country to what they're calling the covered list."},{"startTime":78.77,"endTime":82.21,"body":"Translation? Those products won't get approved for sale."},{"startTime":82.61,"endTime":86.36,"body":"No approval, no sell. Simple as that. And the reason they're"},{"startTime":86.36,"endTime":90.16,"body":"given? I'll read it directly. These routers pose, quote,"},{"startTime":90.48,"endTime":94.32,"body":"unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States"},{"startTime":94.32,"endTime":98.16,"body":"and to the safety and security of US Persons. Those"},{"startTime":98.16,"endTime":101.56,"body":"are some pretty strong words. Now here's where it gets"},{"startTime":101.56,"endTime":105.32,"body":"interesting and a little complicated. The FCC didn't"},{"startTime":105.32,"endTime":108.92,"body":"call out any specific brands, but here's the thing. Almost"},{"startTime":108.92,"endTime":112.72,"body":"every consumer router brand you've ever heard of would fall under these rules."},{"startTime":113.29,"endTime":117.01,"body":"We're talking about TP Link, Netgear, Linksys, Asus, the"},{"startTime":117.01,"endTime":120.77,"body":"whole lineup. Why? Because the FCC's"},{"startTime":120.77,"endTime":123.97,"body":"definition of production is broad. We're talking"},{"startTime":123.97,"endTime":126.81,"body":"manufacturing, assembly, design and development."},{"startTime":127.69,"endTime":131.45,"body":"So if your router was designed in Taiwan and assembled in Vietnam,"},{"startTime":131.77,"endTime":135.57,"body":"covered, designed in the UK where Linksys is headquartered, and"},{"startTime":135.57,"endTime":139.42,"body":"built in the US still covered. Both scenarios"},{"startTime":139.42,"endTime":143.06,"body":"fall under the covered list definition. And yes, even though"},{"startTime":143.06,"endTime":146.46,"body":"TP Link moved its headquarters to the US it still"},{"startTime":146.46,"endTime":149.94,"body":"manufactures in Vietnam. Their own spokesperson"},{"startTime":149.94,"endTime":153.14,"body":"confirmed almost all routers are made outside the U.S."},{"startTime":153.7,"endTime":157.42,"body":"including those from American based companies. So what"},{"startTime":157.42,"endTime":161.18,"body":"does this mean for you sitting at home right now? Here's the good news, and"},{"startTime":161.18,"endTime":164.58,"body":"I want to be clear about this. You don't need to do anything today."},{"startTime":165.41,"endTime":169.25,"body":"The FCC says consumers can keep using devices they already have"},{"startTime":169.49,"endTime":172.53,"body":"and they can still buy routers that have already been approved."},{"startTime":173.01,"endTime":176.77,"body":"Nothing gets yanked off shelves overnight. But there's more."},{"startTime":177.01,"endTime":180.41,"body":"The FCC has also filed a waiver that allows existing"},{"startTime":180.41,"endTime":183.81,"body":"routers to continue receiving software and firmware updates,"},{"startTime":184.37,"endTime":187.89,"body":"security patches, bug fixes, all of it until"},{"startTime":188.05,"endTime":191.62,"body":"March 1, 2027. So your current"},{"startTime":191.62,"endTime":195.14,"body":"device stays protected for Now. That date, March"},{"startTime":195.14,"endTime":198.98,"body":"2027, is worth keeping in your back pocket. The FCC"},{"startTime":199.06,"endTime":202.46,"body":"cited cyber attack campaigns like Volt Typhoon, Flax"},{"startTime":202.46,"endTime":206.3,"body":"Typhoon and Salt Typhoon as part of their reasoning. If those"},{"startTime":206.3,"endTime":210.02,"body":"names sound familiar, it's because these were sophisticated Chinese"},{"startTime":210.02,"endTime":213.86,"body":"state sponsored attacks targeting U.S. infrastructure, utilities,"},{"startTime":213.94,"endTime":217.63,"body":"emergency services, telecoms. The argument"},{"startTime":217.63,"endTime":221.35,"body":"is that if foreign adversaries can compromise routers at the supply chain"},{"startTime":221.35,"endTime":225.11,"body":"level, they have a backdoor into American homes and critical"},{"startTime":225.11,"endTime":228.91,"body":"systems. It's a legitimate concern. And the first line"},{"startTime":228.91,"endTime":232.39,"body":"of defense right now, today is simple. Change your"},{"startTime":232.39,"endTime":236.15,"body":"router's default login credentials and make sure the firmware is up"},{"startTime":236.15,"endTime":239.99,"body":"to date. Don't wait on that. So now let's zoom"},{"startTime":239.99,"endTime":243.66,"body":"out, because this is really about a bigger strategy. This"},{"startTime":243.66,"endTime":247.34,"body":"feels like the same playbook we saw with semiconductors, the push to bring"},{"startTime":247.34,"endTime":250.66,"body":"chipmaking back to American soil. But instead of"},{"startTime":250.66,"endTime":254.22,"body":"tariffs or trade negotiations, the FCC is using its"},{"startTime":254.22,"endTime":257.94,"body":"licensing power as the lever. No license, no"},{"startTime":257.94,"endTime":261.5,"body":"product. The question a lot of people in the industry"},{"startTime":261.58,"endTime":265.18,"body":"are asking is, is this even realistic? Can the"},{"startTime":265.18,"endTime":269.02,"body":"router industry actually move to the US? TP link"},{"startTime":269.02,"endTime":272.81,"body":"raised the exact point. They said the FCC's announcement"},{"startTime":272.81,"endTime":276.53,"body":"could affect the entire router industry, not just foreign owned companies"},{"startTime":276.85,"endTime":280.13,"body":"and Netgear, whose routers are built by Foxconn and other"},{"startTime":280.13,"endTime":283.85,"body":"manufacturers in Taiwan. They gave a very diplomatic non"},{"startTime":283.85,"endTime":287.61,"body":"answer, basically saying they support the effort without saying whether they'd"},{"startTime":287.61,"endTime":291.33,"body":"be impacted. The economics here are not trivial."},{"startTime":291.81,"endTime":295.45,"body":"Contract manufacturing in places like Taiwan and Vietnam exist"},{"startTime":295.45,"endTime":298.21,"body":"because it's efficient and cost effective at scale."},{"startTime":299.24,"endTime":302.6,"body":"Rebuilding that domestically takes years and billions of dollars."},{"startTime":303.4,"endTime":306.92,"body":"So, all right, now for the part. I personally find the most fascinating,"},{"startTime":307.08,"endTime":310.64,"body":"the loopholes. The FCC does have a process"},{"startTime":310.64,"endTime":314.36,"body":"for exceptions, what they're calling conditional approvals right now."},{"startTime":315.08,"endTime":318.84,"body":"None of those are for consumer routers. The current exceptions are all for"},{"startTime":318.84,"endTime":322.64,"body":"drone control systems. Going forward, exceptions will be"},{"startTime":322.64,"endTime":326.41,"body":"handled by the Department of Defense and Homeland Security. Router"},{"startTime":326.41,"endTime":329.65,"body":"makers will need to email a specific address to get on the list,"},{"startTime":330.13,"endTime":333.57,"body":"which honestly is a bit of an unusual process for an industry"},{"startTime":333.73,"endTime":337.45,"body":"this size. So here's the bottom line. This isn't a crisis"},{"startTime":337.45,"endTime":341.25,"body":"for consumers today, but it is a preview of a major shift in how home"},{"startTime":341.25,"endTime":344.73,"body":"networking hardware gets built and sold in America. The"},{"startTime":344.73,"endTime":348.49,"body":"supply chain for the router industry is about to face serious pressure and"},{"startTime":348.49,"endTime":352.21,"body":"prices could rise if domestic manufacturing doesn't scale fast enough."},{"startTime":353.05,"endTime":356.49,"body":"For right now, update your router firmware, change those"},{"startTime":356.49,"endTime":359.37,"body":"default passwords, and keep an eye on that March"},{"startTime":359.37,"endTime":363.13,"body":"2027 waiver deadline. So that's the show for today."},{"startTime":363.13,"endTime":366.57,"body":"If this was useful, share it with someone who's still using the factory"},{"startTime":366.57,"endTime":370.41,"body":"password on their router. Especially, you know who they are. Stay"},{"startTime":370.41,"endTime":373.69,"body":"curious, stay connected, and stay secure."},{"startTime":376.81,"endTime":380.49,"body":"Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Tech Tips with Greg Doig."},{"startTime":380.74,"endTime":384.42,"body":"If you found this information helpful, be sure to subscribe so you never"},{"startTime":384.42,"endTime":387.94,"body":"miss future episodes where we'll continue breaking down complex technology"},{"startTime":388.5,"endTime":391.62,"body":"into simple, actionable advice. You can also follow"},{"startTime":391.62,"endTime":395.26,"body":"us@gregdoig.com for more tech insights and quick"},{"startTime":395.26,"endTime":398.86,"body":"solutions to common tech problems. This has been Tech Tips with"},{"startTime":398.86,"endTime":402.62,"body":"Greg Doig, proudly brought to you by wbbi, the Voice"},{"startTime":402.62,"endTime":406.34,"body":"of Beaver Island. Until next time, stay curious and keep"},{"startTime":406.34,"endTime":409.62,"body":"your technology working for you, not against you."}]}