Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that networking hardware company JMA Wireless would receive nearly $44 million in federal funding from the CHIPS and Science Act. The company will use the funds to develop 5G Open Radio Access Network-compliant radio units and upgrade its 5G manufacturing sites in New York.
Creating New Jobs
The investment will allow JMA to spend another $30 million in private capital. The company said this additional investment would create 30 new jobs for technology development and scale up to full production. Further demand from wireless carriers could lead to more manufacturing jobs in the coming years.
Competing With China
JMA’s investment will also assist the company in its goal to create and commercialize new technologies that could accelerate the U.S.’s 5G network and wireless capabilities. Schumer stated that this production would support the U.S.’s 5G status, aid high-speed internet, and enable the country to compete with Chinese companies such as ZTE and Huawei.
Reshoring Manufacturing
Schumer added that the federal funding would reshore critical manufacturing and allow JMA to consolidate its testing capabilities and manufacturing processes at its 5G Innovation Campus and headquarters in New York.
JMA expects the campus to manufacture and sell over 12,000 5G Open Radio Access Network radios annually.
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