Partnering with Sanmina Corporation, Nokia will manufacture several fibre-optic broadband products at Sanmina’s manufacturing facility located in Pleasant Prairie, Kenosha County, Wisconsin. These will include small form factor OLT (Optical Line Terminal), OLT optical modules, and an ‘outdoor-hardened’ Optical Network Terminal (ONT). The partnership is likely to create around 200 jobs.
In a statement, Pekka Lundmark, president and CEO of Nokia, said: “We are committed to connecting people and communities. However, many Americans still lack adequate connectivity, leaving them at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing work, education and healthcare. Programs like BEAD can change this. By bringing the manufacturing of our fibre-optic broadband access products to the US, BEAD participants will be able to work with us to bridge the digital divide.”
BEAD is providing funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires the use of Made-in-America materials and products for federally funded infrastructure projects, including BEAD.
Kamala Harris, vice president of the United States, said: “President Biden and I are delivering on our promise to strengthen our economy by investing in working people, expanding domestic manufacturing, empowering small business owners, and rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure – [this] announcement is a direct result of this work.”
US secretary of commerce, Gina Raimondo, added: “President Biden promised to bring high-speed internet to every corner of America, and to do it with American workers and American-made equipment. This announcement is proof that he's delivering on that promise. When we invest in American manufacturing and American jobs, there's no limit to what we can achieve.”
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