FCC Approves Nokia: Exemption from Consumer Wi-Fi Router Restrictions

Nokia announced that its Beacon and ONT devices have received conditional approval from the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, formally exempting these platforms (including future variants) from the FCC’s Covered List of restrictions on consumer-grade Wi-Fi routers manufactured abroad. Deployed by service providers across North America, Nokia’s Beacon and ONT Beacon deliver high-performance broadband to millions of users. This approval enables operators to continue uninterrupted deployments, sustain momentum in expansion, and confidently invest in their broadband networks.

Nokia is one of the few suppliers that meet the conditional approval requirements for consumer-grade routers under the FCC Covered List—a list of devices deemed to pose unacceptable risks to U.S. national security. When granting this conditional exemption, the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security determined that Nokia’s products do not pose a risk to U.S. national security.

Over the past few years, Nokia has made substantial investments to support the expansion of broadband in the United States, established domestic manufacturing capabilities, and became the first technical supplier to self-certify its fiber product portfolio as compliant with the BEAD Program’s “Buy American” requirements. Additionally, it has delivered products meeting BABA standards to operators building networks in unserved and underserved communities.

Sandy Motley, President of Nokia’s Fixed Network Business, stated: “This conditional approval by the FCC, coupled with our commitment to manufacturing Wi-Fi 8 gateways in the U.S., ensures our customers can continue deploying our products without interruption while confidently investing in the future evolution of networks.”

Jeff Heynen, Vice President of Broadband Access and Home Networks at Dell’Oro Group, stated: “This decision positions Nokia—the leading U.S. XGS-PON supplier—to support customers’ current deployments and future upgrades without compromise, a key advantage in today’s regulatory environment.”

Nokia has also taken further steps to support customers by committing to manufacture its Wi-Fi 8 gateway in the United States. Wi-Fi 8 represents the next major evolution in home wireless connectivity, designed to deliver greater reliability, superior performance, and a more consistent user experience for every device in the home. The Wi-Fi 8 gateway will join Nokia’s expanding portfolio of U.S.-manufactured products, providing operators with secure, compliant, and locally produced solutions to meet evolving policy and regulatory requirements.