JMA receives $44m in federal funding

• Schumer announces nearly $44m for Syracuse’s JMA wireless from his bipartisan chips & science law to pioneer new state-of-the-art American-made 5G technology, creating new, good-paying jobs, & new production in central NY
• JMA’s CNY facility is the only major American-owned 5G manufacturing factory; the smart factory complies with “Buy America” standards Schumer included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs law to expand American manufacturing of telecom technology
• Now, with support from wireless innovation fund schumer created in bipartisan Chips & Science law, JMA will invest a total $75+ million in CNY to create dozens of new, good-paying jobs with a new production line to enhance 5G networks at leading wireless carriers like AT&T, Verizon, Boost, and more
• Schumer: Thanks to Chips & Science, JMA Wireless will make central NY an epicentre of keeping America ahead of china in 5G.

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today announced $43,940,612 in federal funding from his bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law for JMA Wireless to pioneer the domestic manufacturing of 5G Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)-compliant radio units (RU), and upgrade its state-of-the-art 5G manufacturing facilities in Central NY.

This award will support JMA to further invest $30 million in private capital, creating up to 30 new, good-paying jobs, with the potential for more down the road, to develop and commercialize new technology accelerating America’s wireless and 5G network capabilities. Schumer said this new production will help maintain America’s 5G leadership, which is critical to support advanced high-speed internet and the ability to directly compete with the Chinese Communist Party and companies like Huawei and ZTE, which the senator has long warned threaten U.S. national security.

“We need the future of America’s 5G technology built in Central NY, not China. Now thanks to my bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law, nearly $44 million in federal funding is on the way to make Syracuse’s JMA Wireless an epicenter for American innovation and manufacturing for the next generation of 5G wireless technology,” said Senator Schumer. “I’ve long sounded the alarm on companies backed by the Chinese Communist Party, like Huawei, and the threat their technology possess to our national security and economic primacy by stealing American’s personal data. Investments like this show the federal government is serious about taking back the reigns on critical technology like 5G and making sure the future of broadband and wireless technology is stamped ‘Made in America’ with JMA leading the way.”

Schumer added, “Today’s investment works in tandem with the new Buy America requirements for telecom technology I delivered through the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, boosting opportunities for Syracuse’s JMA to manufacture the equipment needed for building new high-speed internet across the country. Because of these efforts, JMA is bringing back this industry & good-paying jobs from overseas and ensuring the future of America’s high-speed network is secure and developed right here in Central NY.”

“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. With this Wireless Innovation Fund 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,” said John Mezzalingua, CEO of JMA Wireless.

Schumer explained that, currently, 5G wireless network coverage at major carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and Boost are capped by the limitations of commercially available radio technology, and JMA’s ARMOR platform will provide carriers with a next-generation solution to overcome existing limitations, increase their high-speed network capacity, and bring high-quality 5G coverage to communities across Central New York, New York State, and the entire U.S. The senator added that JMA will combine this nearly $44 million in new federal funding with more than $30 million of matching private investment to inject $75 million into growing their CNY manufacturing and workforce.

According to JMA, the investment will create up to 30 new, good-paying jobs initially to develop the technology and ramp to full production – with the potential for significant demand from major wireless carriers to drive the addition of more new manufacturing jobs in the years to come. In addition to accelerating JMA’s leadership in 5G open radio access network (ORAN) technology, reshoring critical domestic manufacturing, and strengthening our national security, Schumer said this investment will allow JMA to centralize and co-locate their testing capabilities and advanced manufacturing process prototype at their new, state-of-the-art 5G Innovation Campus and Global HQ in CNY where the company projects to produce and sell more than 12,000 state-of-the-art 5G ORAN radios per year.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Wireless Innovation Fund, funded by the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law Schumer led to passage in the Senate, is dedicated to fostering U.S. wireless innovation and developing strong wireless networks across the country. The CHIPS & Science Law invested $1.5 billion for this program to reinforce U.S. leadership in the next generation of high-speed internet, foster competition, and strengthen U.S. supply chains. JMA is currently building a new ARMOR (American, Ruggedized, Modular, O-RAN, Radio) platform to improve operational efficiency and lower costs for 5G infrastructure across the country. This will increase capacity while lowering costs and reducing deployment time for 5G infrastructure, making wireless service more accessible.

Syracuse Mayor Walsh said, “JMA Wireless’s leadership in 5G technology has and will continue to advance the Syracuse Surge, our strategy for inclusive growth in the New Economy. Thanks to the CHIPS & Science Law and the strong support of Senator Schumer, Syracuse is emerging as a global leader in technology manufacturing and innovation.”

“This Wireless Innovation Fund Grant is a critical step toward ensuring that the U.S. is at the forefront of global 5G innovation. By investing in companies like JMA, the US is creating a safer, more resilient supply chain while providing the tools our country and infrastructure need to remain competitive. JMA’s work, along with key partnerships from U.S. carriers, will drive forward the innovation that keeps America secure,” said Diane Rinaldo, Executive Director of the ORAN Alliance.

Schumer explained that he worked to include the Build America, Buy America Act in the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law to ensure that Buy America rules apply to all taxpayer-funded infrastructure and public works projects. Before, American-made sourcing requirements applied to some federal infrastructure projects, but not all, including federal broadband programs. Schumer said that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law closed these loopholes and ensures taxpayer dollars are used to sustain and grow jobs in domestic manufacturing and throughout product supply chains when investing in the nation’s infrastructure.

Schumer said JMA Wireless – and its over 500 employees – received a boost from Build America, Buy America for high-speed internet expansion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law. Schumer said JMA Wireless, which has invested over $400 million in RAN R&D, facilities, and manufacturing capacity since 2017, is working hard to restore U.S. leadership in cutting-edge wireless technology at a critical time in the transition to 5G by producing some of the world’s most advanced wireless broadband products right in Syracuse. By harnessing funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law and the “Build America, Buy America” requirement, the radios and antennas made at JMA’s new Syracuse factory are supplying efforts to help bridge the digital divide while also creating high-tech manufacturing jobs in Central New York.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law, which Schumer led to passage in the Senate, contained a record $65 billion for the expansion of high-speed internet, including $42.45 billion for broadband deployment grants to states which New York received over $600 million, $2.75 billion for Digital Equity and Inclusion, $2 billion for the Tribal Connectivity Fund and $1 billion for Middle Mile Broadband infrastructure – all of which will be distributed by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Schumer explained investing in American telecommunications companies like JMA Wireless is especially important amid fears that foreign-owned telecommunications companies, particularly Chinese state-owned ones, could spy on Americans. Schumer has long been critical of the Chinese state-owned telecommunications company Huawei, successfully fighting to put Huawei and its affiliates on the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals list and introducing a bill to prohibit Huawei from operating in the U.S. The senator explained that by boosting companies like JMA, more American-made telecommunications equipment will be made available, reducing reliance on foreign-made technology, as well as helping make JMA a global leader.