CommScope (NASDAQ: COMM), announced Wednesday that it plans to invest $60.3 million over the next four years to expand its manufacturing facilities based in North Carolina. The move is intended to bolster CommScope’s ability to meet U.S. supply demands driven by federal initiatives in underserved and rural broadband markets. The company said the new facility will also enhance production capacity over the next four years and create at least 250 new jobs.
The company says it currently has the capacity to manufacture drop cable at a rate of approximately 2 billion feet per year in its U.S. facilities. Commscope claims the plant will provide a level of production that will allow states and their partners to connect every underserved American as a part of the BEAD program. The expansion is intended to further allow the company to manufacture the necessary cable to enable service providers to deploy broadband across the U.S. In their estimation, capacity increase will align around loose tube production and additional fiber cable counts and styles needed for rural deployment, including CommScope’s HeliARC™ fiber-optic cable. First announced in March, the HeliARC fiber-optic cable is specifically designed for rural fiber network architecture.
“Broadband for everyone is no longer a luxury, but rather a critical necessity to participate in today’s society and economic market,” stated Chuck Treadway, president and CEO, CommScope. “We have long been committed to supplying our partners with the solutions necessary to bring broadband to everyone. Furthering our long-standing relationship with the State of North Carolina is a great next step to bring ‘Internet For All’, and we are thrilled to work with the State on this endeavor. This partnership not only contributes to the economic prosperity of Catawba County but also furthers our commitment to meet the objectives of the BEAD program. This exciting expansion continues to shine a spotlight on Catawba County and North Carolina as the hub that supplies the nation with fiber cable.”
Reader Interactions