Auburn Hills, MI – Today, Assistant Secretary of Commerce Alan Davidson traveled to Auburn Hills, MI,to celebrate new investments in high-speed Internet network electronics equipment production in the U.S. by Calix, Inc., made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Investing in America” agenda.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires the use of Made in America construction materials and manufactured products for federally funded infrastructure projects, including high-speed Internet service deployment under the Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. As a result, Calix is announcing an initial investment of up to $6 million, and an ongoing investment for operations of up to $15 million per year, which will result in creating approximately 100 American jobs.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and commitment to 'Made in America' is driving a resurgence in manufacturing across the country,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Today's announcement is more evidence that we can close the digital divide and connect everyone in America to high-speed Internet networks built by American workers with American-made equipment.”
“The Internet for All initiative is not just a connectivity program, it’s a jobs program—for the people who build the networks and for the people who make the equipment those networks need,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson. “If network equipment can be made in America, it should be made in America. Companies like Calix are stepping up and answering that call.”
“With today’s announcement, Calix, Jabil, and the Biden-Harris administration are betting on Michigan minds and Michigan muscle to connect more communities and build the future,” said Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “Calix and Jabil are bringing supply chains back to Michigan from overseas and creating high-skilled, good-paying jobs manufacturing fiber optic technology right here in Michigan. Governor Whitmer and I are proud of the progress we have made growing Michigan manufacturing and connecting individuals, families, and communities to high-speed internet. We will continue working to make Michigan the best connected state and best place to build a future.”
Calix will partner with Jabil, a leading global contract manufacturer, to move the production of high-tech electronics from Southeast Asia to the United States, including Optical Line Terminals and Optical Network Terminals to Michigan. Calix will also partner with Hisense in New Jersey to produce optical modules, while partnering with Gemtek to produce additional ONTs at its California facility.
Calix’s investment in the Michigan manufacturing facility comes as states across the country prepare to receive billions of dollars in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, administered by the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
NTIA released a draft of its Build America, Buy America requirements for the BEAD program in August 2023. The comment period for these proposals recently closed, and final requirements encouraging U.S. production for most cable and electronics are in progress.
Internet for All and Investing in America
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes a historic $65 billion investment to expand affordable and reliable high-speed Internet access in communities across the U.S. NTIA recently launched a series of new grant programs funded by the law that will build high-speed Internet infrastructure across the country, create more low-cost high-speed Internet service options, and address the digital equity and inclusion needs in our communities.
Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward Internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal Lands. Visit GetInternet.Gov to sign-up.
For more information on the Biden-Harris Administration’s high-speed Internet programs, please visit InternetforAll.gov.
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and his vision for growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up – Bidenomics – is creating opportunity across the country. Already, as a result of legislation passed by President Biden, the Biden-Harris Administration has awarded $260 billion in funding for 35,000 infrastructure projects across the country. Companies have announced over $500 billion in investments in the United States since President Biden took office, and the Administration has helped over 20 million households save money on their internet costs.
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About the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is the Executive Branch agency that advises the President on telecommunications and information policy issues. NTIA’s programs and policymaking focus largely on expanding broadband Internet access and adoption in America, expanding the use of spectrum by all users, advancing public safety communications, and ensuring that the Internet remains an engine for innovation and economic growth.