Nokia to Manufacture Fiber for BEAD Buildout in Wisconsin

Nokia will domestically manufacture fiber products for use in the infrastructure buildout connected with the broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, the company announced at an event in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, with remarks by Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis. Nokia is the first telecom company to announce domestic manufacturing of network electronics products for BEAD, said a company release. Requirements that the BEAD program use products made in America are intended to boost the U.S. economy and promote American manufacturing, Harris said. “We knew there would be an increased demand for fiber optic cable and for products that connect people to the Internet,” she said. “In the 21st century, high-speed internet isn’t a luxury, it's a necessity,” Harris said. Finland-based Nokia will build the fiber products in Pleasant Prairie in a facility owned by international manufacturing company Sanmina. The effort is expected to create up to 200 new jobs, Nokia said in the news release. “Having access to technology that is built in the U.S. is an important requirement for states and infrastructure players seeking to participate in BEAD.”