Nokia announced that it became the first technology vendor to self-certify its fiber products manufactured in the U.S., ensuring each meets the requirements outlined in the recently announced BABA compliance and self-certification guidelines for the BEAD program. BEAD Applicants can now obtain a Certification Letter from Nokia to prove BABA compliance.
Operators and infrastructure players seeking to participate in BEAD and the $42.45bn of available funding will need to ensure - under federal penalty - that certain fiber broadband equipment used in their network buildouts are manufactured in the U.S. To help, the NTIA created a self-certification and compliance framework for manufacturers, allowing each to show its products meet these requirements. Manufacturers that complete the self-certification process are added to a list managed by the Department of Commerce. Focused on reducing the number of fraudulent claims of BABA compliance, the list requires manufacturers to have an officer of the company certify - under fine or imprisonment - that its products are Buy America-compliant. Manufacturers must also be able to provide a BABA certification letter to subgrantees for audit purposes.
Nokia is the first vendor to self-certify that all of its fiber broadband products manufactured in the U.S. are Buy America-compliant and meet the final guidelines specified by the NTIA. The list of certified products includes:
- Nokia FX and MF OLT modular product lines
- Nokia SF-8M sealed OLT
- XS-220X-A ONT
Sandy Motley, President of Fixed Networks at Nokia, said: “We are excited to announce yet another milestone in our BEAD journey. As a certified vendor, we can now provide BEAD applicants with a certification letter that’s become essential for applications and BABA reporting requirements. It also provides the confidence and assurance several need to submit product orders today without fear of being out of compliance.”
Applicants for BEAD can visit the Nokia Buy America website for information on how to obtain a Nokia Certification Letter which can be uploaded with a BEAD application to prove BABA compliance.