US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo Announces Onshoring of Broadband Electronics Equipment

Vice President Kamala Harris and US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo traveled to Kenosha, WI, to celebrate the announcement of new electronics equipment production in the US made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Investing in America” agenda. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) requires the use of Made-in-America materials and products for federally funded infrastructure projects, including high-speed Internet service deployment under the Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. As a result, Nokia is partnering with Sanmina Corporation at their Kenosha facility to manufacture key electronics equipment used in high-speed Internet networks, bringing hundreds of new jobs to the US. “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,” said Secretary of Commerce Raimondo. “When we invest in American manufacturing and American jobs, there's no limit to what we can achieve. Thanks to the President's leadership, we’re going to connect everyone in America and create a strong and equitable economy that’s built for the future.” The announcement will result in the onshoring of network electronics equipment as states across the country prepare to receive billions of dollars in federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act’s $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, administered by the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Nokia will move the manufacturing of multiple fiber broadband electronics products to the United States, including Optical Line Terminals (OLTs), OLT line cards, and Optical Network Terminals (ONTs). According to Nokia, they expect to deliver these products by mid-2024, with production scaling with demand. NTIA will release a draft of its Build America, Buy America requirements for the BEAD program later this year.