New Wi-Fi routers from Taiwan-based MSI can now be sold in the US after the company received an exemption to the White House’s foreign-made router ban.
On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission announced “conditional approval” for MSI’s Radix Wi-Fi routers; specifically, two models codenamed GRBE94 and GRBE36.
That’s good news for anyone looking to buy a new gaming-focused MSI router. At Computex in Taipei earlier this year, MSI said it was preparing at least three new Wi-Fi 7 routers under the Radix family “to deliver blazing-fast speed, ultra-low latency, and rock-solid connectivity for competitive gaming.” This includes supporting up to 10Gbps in wired ethernet speeds.
MSI still needs FCC equipment authorization to sell the products in the US, so it’s unclear when they might hit store shelves; the company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. MSI has reportedly already received regulatory certification for the GRBE94 in Japan.
MSI’s exemption to the ban lasts until April 17, 2028, or the maximum period of 18 months. The company joins other vendors, including Asus, Netgear, Amazon’s eero, and SpaceX’s Starlink, in receiving temporary exemptions, which are necessary since most router production occurs in Vietnam, Mexico, and Taiwan.
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The US has granted conditional approval to 22 vendors after they submitted the necessary paperwork, including plans to migrate their product manufacturing to the US.
However, one of the leading Wi-Fi vendors, TP-Link, has yet to receive an exemption as it continues to fend off allegations about its ties to China. No other Chinese vendor appears to have secured an exemption. But in TP-Link’s case, the company has committed to manufacturing new Wi-Fi 8 routers domestically through a factory in Mississippi.
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Principal Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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