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IndustryArs Technica · AIRelayed· Jeremy Hsu·· 2 hours ago

Intel gets waiver amid uncertainty over US ban on foreign-made robots

Intel gets waiver after worries fuzzy US ban on foreign-made robots may hit fabs

Who
FCC
What
granted Intel a one-year waiver to continue using foreign-made robotic vehicles in US semiconductor manufacturing facilities and to make certain changes to them
When
Quote
On October 22, the FCC published its order allowing Intel to continue using the foreign-made robots in US semiconductor manufacturing facilities for a period of one year.

What happened

Intel received a one-year FCC waiver to continue using foreign-made robotic vehicles in its US chip fabs after questioning whether the agency’s ban covered the equipment. The FCC’s October 22 order also permits certain hardware, software, and firmware changes needed for continued operation and maintenance. Intel sought the waiver out of caution because the rules’ application to its automated guided vehicles was unclear.

Read next

See the full storyFCC Gives Intel One-Year Waiver to Keep Foreign-Made Robotic Vehicles Operating in US Fabs

The story so far

The FCC granted Intel a one-year waiver to continue using foreign-made robotic vehicles in its US semiconductor fabs, allowing the equipment to remain in operation while the ban’s applicability to it remains unclear. The order also permits certain hardware, software, and firmware changes needed for the vehicles’ continued operation and maintenance. Intel sought the waiver as a precaution after questioning whether the FCC’s ban covered its automated guided vehicles.

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