Nokia is teaming with longtime manufacturing partner Sanmina to bring production of fiber network electronics to Wisconsin, hoping the move will help it bring in the cheese when money starts flowing from the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The decision will notably allow it to meet Buy American rules associated with the grant program, which require awardees to source materials with a high percentage of domestic content. Lori Adams, VP of Broadband Policy and Funding Strategy at Nokia, said it plans to build four products at Sanmina’s plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin: optical line termination (OLT) cards for modular access nodes, a small form-factor OLT, OLT optical modules and a hardened optical network terminal (ONT). Production is expected to begin in 2024, with products ready for shipment by the middle of 2024. The US Department of Commerce is in conversation with nearly a dozen other broadband vendors about bringing their manufacturing stateside.

Senator [Tammy] Baldwin (D-WI) and I served together in the United States Senate. And it is, indeed, with her help, all across Wisconsin, that President Joe Biden and I have been able to create jobs, expand opportunity, and strengthen American manufacturing. We are here to discuss our continuation of that work. Take, for example, our work on high-speed Internet. In America in the 21st century, high-speed Internet is not a luxury. It is a basic necessity. We invested $65 billion to lower the cost of high-speed Internet plans and to build thousands of miles of fiber-optic cable so that every family in America can afford to have access to high-speed Internet. And when we made this investment, we knew that there would then be an increased demand for fiber-optic cable and for other products that connect people to the Internet. We knew that the demand would skyrocket. We knew companies would increase production and hire more workers. And whereas in the past, many of those jobs would have been created overseas, President Biden and I required that the materials and products used in these projects, from steel to electronics to fiber-optic cable, must be made in America by workers in America. And we are determined to create jobs in America and keep jobs in America. I am proud to announce that Nokia, a company based in Finland, will expand this factory here in Kenosha (WI) and hire up to 200 new employees. They will build the parts that are needed to connect people with high-speed Internet. Wisconsin, together, we are rebuilding America. Through Bidenomics, we are showing that when we invest in workers and families, when we create jobs and opportunity, when we roll up our sleeves and get to work, there is no limit to what we can achieve for Kenosha, for Wisconsin, and for our nation.

In July 2023, the Michigan High-Speed Internet (MIHI) Office released the state's draft Digital Equity Plan. The state outlines how it will work to bring broadband to its residents–and the opportunities that come with high-speed internet access. Michigan reminds us that there will never be a one-size-fits-all solution to digital equity and that grassroots organizing, community-led conversations, and state action must be done in tandem to close the digital divide. Michaigan envisions a connected and inclusive state where every resident has an affordable high-speed internet connection available to them regardless of where they live, how much money they make, or what they look like.

For decades, the Department of Defense (DoD) has had relatively unquestioned access to a large portion of the electromagnetic spectrum — a critical resource that enables capabilities like radars, satellite communications, and navigation systems. However, a number of leaders at the Pentagon are concerned that access may soon be taken away. There has been a years-long battle between the DoD and the commercial telecommunications industry over access to the 3.1-3.45 GHz S-band. That portion of spectrum has been solely designated to the DoD for decades. But telecommunications companies are arguing that obtaining access to it is crucial for them to meet the rising demand for 5G wireless technology. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is on the cusp of releasing a highly anticipated congressionally mandated study — which the Pentagon participated in — discussing potential impacts to the DoD if it had to give up parts of the spectrum to commercial companies. The study is also examining the feasibility of both 5G providers and the DoD sharing the spectrum, requiring additional technical and scheduling agreements between both parties. However, experts told DefenseScoop the conflict is symptomatic of an outdated spectrum management system plagued by policy, legal and technological guardrails. At the same time, freeing up spectrum for commercial use could be considered a national security interest.

AT&T is giving schools access to a new security alert system through FirstNet, the company's dedicated telecommunications network for first responders. The school safety system will be available fall 2023, and entail a FirstNet-certified mobile app, wearable panic button and online portal designed by the telecommunications company Intrado. Intended for wear by school administrators, teachers, bus drivers, coaches, club advisers, or other staff members, the panic button delivers a haptic vibration when notifying 911 dispatchers and other school personnel. The subscription-based service also has a secure two-way faculty chat function, and will integrate with school information systems that account for all students in emergency situations.

Distracted driving has become a pressing problem in the 21st century, with a world of connection sitting in our pockets or on the dash as we drive along. And modern cars aren't necessarily helping eliminate these distractions, as manufacturers push for increasingly larger infotainment screens. Distracted driving accounts for around 9% of annual traffic fatalities in the US and, with the proliferation of smartphones, it's not hard to understand why. As federal regulators grapple with how to appropriately integrate connectivity into vehicles, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says smartphones can serve a genuine safety purpose. "Regulators and safety advocates are beginning to engage with tech companies the way IIHS has always engaged with automakers—pushing manufacturers to make numerous improvements well before they’re required by law," a report from the IIHS reads. "Along with IIHS and several other nonprofits, government authorities, and academic institutions, Google is a member of the steering committee of the National Distracted Driving Coalition, which recently showcased technologies with the potential to combat distraction, while several smaller tech firms are involved in the group." From speed limit alerts to forward collision-warning systems, using smartphones to fill in the safety gaps on older vehicles and fast-track technology rollouts could be the next frontier.