What They’re Saying: Biden-Harris Administration Awards Grant from Wireless Innovation Fund

Today, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded more than $273 million as part of the first batch of grants from the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund’s second Notice of Funding Opportunity.  

This batch of awards will support projects focused on open radio unit hardware commercialization. Open radio units are critical, hardware elements that make up the largest part of a carrier network. Applicants were required to partner with a mobile network operator (MNO) to help produce products that will be commercially viable.

With these grants, NTIA has awarded more than $413 million from the Wireless Innovation Fund, a 10-year, $1.5 billion program to support the development of open and interoperable wireless networks. The grants announced today are from the first round of funding from the second Notice of Funding Opportunity.  

Here’s what they are saying about today’s Wireless Innovation Fund grants: 

Members of Congress:

Senator Andy Kim, N.J.

“New Jersey has been the home of American innovation throughout our history; I’m proud that bipartisan investments like these will help ensure our state leads the way on the technology that powers the rest of the 21st Century. Funding like this grant through the CHIPS and Science Act is a good start in our effort to make sure that Americans can access the technology they need at a cost they can afford, but it can’t be the end. We must continue to work together across the aisle to supercharge the technology of the future right here at home.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, N.Y.

“Supporting the development of open wireless networks is critical to lowering consumer costs, driving competition, and strengthening global supply chain resiliency,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This award to JMA Wireless will bring necessary improvements to telecommunications infrastructure in New York. I fought hard to pass the CHIPS and Science Act, and I’m proud to see funding made possible through this legislation being used to help consumers and companies in our great state.”

Representative Lori Trahan, Mass.

“As we work to deploy 5G across the nation, Massachusetts will once again lead the way in the research, development, and manufacturing of the equipment necessary to achieve that goal. I’m proud to see this significant CHIPS and Science Act award go to Abside Networks in Concord so they can continue creating good-paying jobs and strengthening our local economy while developing state-of-the-art Open-RAN Radio Units necessary to unlock 5G for all Americans.”

Award Recipients:

Solid Gear, Inc.

Scott Deweese, President of SOLiD Americas

“SOLiD is pleased to be a recipient of a Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund grant from the NTIA. This grant validates the promise of Open RAN combined with Distributed Antenna System (DAS) technology as the perfect enabler of high-performance in-building connectivity. As a leader in solving indoor 4G / 5G connectivity issues, SOLiD is committed to developing outstanding solutions compatible with Open RAN, which is critical to more efficient and cost-effective in-building DAS design, deployment, and maintenance.”

Nokia of America Corporation

Ed Alfonso, Head of Mobile Networks Americas

“Nokia is honored to receive this grant, which underscores our dedication to pioneering advancements in wireless technology. This funding will further enhance our R&D capabilities in Naperville, IL, and Dallas, TX, boosting our market-leading O-RAN offering and supporting the industry’s transition to more open and flexible wireless networks.”

Abside Networks, Inc.

Laurent Perraud, Chief Executive Officer

“Abside, through the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Grant, will bring unique technical solutions tailored to the high performance, austere environments, cost effectiveness, and TCO required by our nation’s regional operators. Together with NTIA, Abside will advance U.S. leadership in 5G radio technology and develop solutions to help close the high risk supply chain challenges in U.S. commercial networks.”

Eridan Communications, Inc.

Doug Kirkpatrick, Co-Founder

"Eridan is thrilled to grow and expand our partnership with the Department of Commerce. At Eridan, we have developed and productized a next generation radio unit that enables a ten-fold improvement in the combined network performance and energy efficiency. This grant will expand and accelerate our 5G radio capabilities to address mainstream telecommunications networks. We are excited to work with our key commercialization partners, Verizon, Citymesh, and Rakuten, among many others in our shared pursuit of this breakthrough American technology connecting people around the globe."

Microelectronics Technology, Inc.

Davis Kent, MTI Laboratory, President and Head of Global Mobile R&D

“The funding provided under NTIA’s Innovation Fund allows MTI to accelerate the development of multiple OpenRAN radio units. These O-RUs have international appeal, furthering the acceptance and deployment of the OpenRAN ecosystem worldwide. Their development in the United States provides the opportunity to strengthen U.S. domestic engineering manpower, capabilities, and know-how in this critical telecommunications industry.”

JMA Wireless

John Mezzalingua, Chief Executive Officer

"The future of global security and economic leadership hinges on our ability to control and protect the next generation of wireless technology. No one understands this better than Leader Schumer. While this was bipartisan legislation, he was there at the beginning – advocating for secure, American-made 5G solutions that not only strengthen our supply chain but also put a critical check on adversaries like China. We appreciate the NTIA’s leadership, and with this grant, we're bringing high-tech manufacturing jobs to upstate New York and accelerating the deployment of ORAN technology that will secure the U.S. position as a leader in wireless for years to come.”

Battelle Memorial Institute

Matt Vaughan, Executive Vice President

“We all know there is incredible demand for access to radio frequencies across the spectrum. NTIA’s grant will allow us to bring Battelle’s RavenStar Radio Unit products to market, providing a compact, domestic and economical solution that will allow network providers to operate across all frequencies from 600 megahertz to 7 gigahertz with greater coverage and speed. I want to thank NTIA for its vote of confidence in Battelle and our mission of delivering technology that benefits society.”