* Nokia partners with Fabrinet to manufacture its next generation
multi-rate optical modules for Optical Line Terminals (OLTs)in the U.S.
at its Santa Clara facility in California
* Production of Nokia’s fiber-optic modules to begin in 2024,
bringing high-tech innovation and additional jobs to the country
* Manufacturing of optical modules builds on the announcement by Nokia
to produce fiber-optic broadband network electronics products in
Kenosha, Wisconsin.
16 August, 2023
Santa Clara, California – Nokia today announced that it is the first
telecom vendor to manufacture fiber broadband optical modules in the
U.S. for use in the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD)
program. Partnering with Fabrinet, a global manufacturer of highly
precise optical products, Nokia will produce multi-rate optical modules
at Fabrinet’s state-of-the-art facility in Santa Clara, California.
Production will start in 2024 and brings additional high-tech jobs to
the country. The announcement builds on Nokia’s previous decision to
produce fiber-optic broadband network electronic products in Kenosha,
Wisconsin.
Optical modules are a key high-tech component of fiber broadband
networks. They convert electrical signals into light and vice versa, and
are essential for connecting homes to high speed, multi-gigabit
broadband. By manufacturing these optical modules in the U.S., Nokia
continues to expand its list of products and solutions for networks
rollouts using BEAD or other funding. States and infrastructure players
seeking to participate in BEAD and the $42.45bn of available funding
allocated for broadband rollouts to unserved and underserved communities
are required to use equipment manufactured in the U.S..
Operators seeking to leverage BEAD funding to bridge the digital divide
now have access to the latest cutting-edge technology for their
deployments. Today, more than 70 percent of fiber broadband lines in
North America are powered by Nokia. Using multi-rate optical modules and
products allows operators to easily upgrade speeds from 1 Gig to
Multi-Gig. Combined with Nokia’s award-winning 25G solutions and
research into 100G technology, this ensures that operators are building
fiber networks that will meet user requirements for generations to come.
Sandy Motley, President of Fixed Networks at Nokia, said: “Many in the
industry have said that manufacturing optical modules in the U.S. was
impossible. Today, we’re proving it can be done. Working alongside the
Department of Commerce and Fabrinet, we’re excited to add optical
modules to the list of technology solutions that will be produced here
in the U.S. and become available to programs like BEAD which are so
critical to bridging the digital divide.”
Harpal Gill, President and COO of Fabrinet, said: “Fabrinet
specializes in manufacturing complex, precision optical and
electro-optical products used in telecommunications networks and data
centers. As a trusted partner of the world’s most demanding OEMs, we
are excited to help bring the production of Nokia’s optical modules to
the U.S. and support their efforts to bridge the digital divide. We’re
pleased to partner with Nokia in order to help provide high-speed fiber
broadband access to more people, homes and communities.”
Resources and additional information
* Press Release: Nokia first to announce manufacturing of broadband
network electronics products for BEAD program in U.S. [1]
* Website: More about funding opportunities and Nokia broadband
solutions [2]
* Infograph: Why Fiber Broadband is Essential [3]
* Article: U.S. Broadband Infrastructure Funding explained [4]
* Video: Explaining the limitless speeds for fiber broadband [5]
* Seven out of ten fiber broadband connections in North America are
made through Nokia equipment.
* Nokia is the top supplier of fiber-optic broadband technology for
service providers in the U.S.
* Nokia is the number one vendor for XGS-PON technology globally and in
the U.S. market. XGS-PON can deliver up to 10 Gbps (Gigabits-per-second)
broadband speeds to end-users. With 10 Gbps, you can download a 4K movie
in less than 30 seconds or stream around 1,700 movies simultaneously.
* Nokia was the first to deploy 1, 10 and 25 Gigabit fiber-optic
broadband networks in the U.S. with the Electric Power Board (EPB) in
Chattanooga, Tennessee.
About Nokia
At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.
As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that
sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and
cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property
and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.
Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to
deliver secure, reliable, and sustainable networks today – and work
with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.
