The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) rarely, if ever, comes up in normal, casual conversation. However, everyone is greatly impacted by the decisions made by the tribunal. A current case before the ITC, for instance, could make it a lot more expensive to connect to the Internet and make it harder for people in rural areas to connect at all.
The controversy revolves around the manufacture of Wi-Fi routers. Routers are the devices that connect a computer to the Internet. You have probably seen them tucked behind the television or desk with blinking green lights. A person or household needs a router to do anything on the Internet. They are therefore indispensable for consumers, businesses, students – anyone who needs access to the Internet for their work, their play, or their studies. They are also the centerpiece of a battle that is now being waged at the ITC to limit choice and hike prices.
TP-Link is a successful company based in Singapore that sells nearly 60 percent of the Wi-Fi routers in the United States. The company has gradually taken sales away from the previous market leader Netgear by selling quality routers at lower prices. Both companies manufacture their routers overseas and import them for sale in the United States, TP-Link from Vietnam and Netgear from China. Unable to compete in the marketplace, Netgear turned to legal action to block TP-Link from selling its lower-priced routers to U.S. consumers.
Higher end routers have already been getting more expensive with every new generation.
The controversy revolves around the manufacture of Wi-Fi routers. Routers are the devices that connect a computer to the Internet. You have probably seen them tucked behind the television or desk with blinking green lights. A person or household needs a router to do anything on the Internet. They are therefore indispensable for consumers, businesses, students – anyone who needs access to the Internet for their work, their play, or their studies. They are also the centerpiece of a battle that is now being waged at the ITC to limit choice and hike prices.
TP-Link is a successful company based in Singapore that sells nearly 60 percent of the Wi-Fi routers in the United States. The company has gradually taken sales away from the previous market leader Netgear by selling quality routers at lower prices. Both companies manufacture their routers overseas and import them for sale in the United States, TP-Link from Vietnam and Netgear from China. Unable to compete in the marketplace, Netgear turned to legal action to block TP-Link from selling its lower-priced routers to U.S. consumers.
Higher end routers have already been getting more expensive with every new generation.
