TP-Link Signs Keytronic to Assemble Wi-Fi 8 Routers in the US by 2027

TP-Link has signed a letter of intent with Keytronic to assemble broadband routers in the United States starting as early as 2027, as the company awaits an FCC decision on its bid to sell new Wi-Fi 8 equipment despite the federal ban on foreign-made consumer routers.

Keytronic, based in Spokane Valley, Washington, would become TP-Link's "primary domestic manufacturing partner" under the agreement. Wi-Fi 8 products are expected to be first off the line at Keytronic's 305,000-square-foot facility in Corinth, Mississippi, according to TP-Link, pending US regulatory approval.

Why is TP-Link moving assembly stateside?

The FCC's ban on new, foreign-made consumer routers took effect in March. It targets security concerns and pushes suppliers to manufacture in the US. Enterprise-grade routers sit outside the ban's scope.

Router suppliers have responded in one of two ways: seeking conditional approval for new products, or requesting expedited waivers for previously approved models that need minor component changes such as memory. TP-Link filed its application for conditional approval of two Wi-Fi 8 routers with an attached pledge — a nearly $1 billion investment in US-based R&D and manufacturing, disclosed in an October 13 FCC filing.

The FCC has been asked for comment on TP-Link's latest manufacturing commitment. The exemption request remains undecided.

What does the Keytronic deal cover?

TP-Link currently sources many router components outside the US. The company says all products it sells in the US are manufactured in Vietnam, though that claim faces legal challenge.

Keytronic itself has been reshaping its footprint. In its fiscal Q4 2026 earnings presentation, the company said it had exited manufacturing operations in China and transferred several programs to Vietnam. It keeps a small China-based team focused on sourcing, and runs design, sourcing and manufacturing in the US, Mexico and Vietnam.

"This LOI with Keytronic demonstrates our firm commitment to expanding domestic advanced manufacturing, and establishing America as our base for delivering secure, reliable connectivity solutions to households and businesses around the world," TP-Link CEO Jeffrey Chao said in a statement.

Chao is seeking to become a US citizen, according to Steve Kovsky, TP-Link's corporate affairs officer, as reported by PCMag.

What about the legal pressure?

The manufacturing pledge arrives amid growing legal scrutiny. Five states — Florida, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska and Texas — have filed suits alleging TP-Link misled consumers about security vulnerabilities in its products, including shortcomings in its built-in "HomeShield" service. Nearly two dozen state attorneys general have pushed back on the company over security concerns and its purported links to China.

The Florida suit challenges TP-Link's Vietnam manufacturing claim as overstated. It cites an April 2025 Bloomberg report noting that "aside from components bought in Vietnam that account for 0.5 percent of the total value of inputs to the plant there, all other components are imported from China."

TP-Link has responded that it is an "independent, US company that is not owned or controlled by any foreign government" and that it complies with US privacy and data protection laws. Founded in 1996 in Shenzhen, the company later ran dual headquarters in Singapore and Irvine, California, before moving its global headquarters to California in 2024.

What happens next?

TP-Link joins a long list of consumer router suppliers seeking dispensation from the FCC ban, and its application — now backed by a named manufacturing partner and a dollar figure — will test how far regulators weigh onshoring commitments against unresolved security allegations. Domestic assembly of Wi-Fi 8 routers could begin sometime in 2027 if the FCC grants approval.