Nokia has been awarded a $45 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) that will see the vendor expand its R&D in the US.
The grant has been awarded as part of the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, a ten-year $1.5 billion program designed to push the country's Open RAN goals.
In May, NTIA announced up to $420 million in funding has been made available to develop Open RAN networks.
Nokia noted that it will use the funds to speed up its Open RAN efforts, with a particular focus on performance, resiliency, and security.
“Nokia is honored to receive this grant, which underscores our dedication to pioneering advancements in wireless technology," said Ed Alfonso, head of mobile networks, Americas at Nokia.
"This funding will further enhance our R&D capabilities in Illinois and Texas, boosting our market-leading Open RAN offering and supporting the industry's transition to more open and flexible wireless networks.”
The Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund was launched in 2021 by the Biden-Harris administration with the aim of promoting competitive supply chain resilience.
The US has pushed particularly hard on the notion of Open RAN, which promotes a mix and match of different vendors, software players, and mobile carriers developing a mobile network together.
The US is also keen to develop open radio units, which are built in the US or with its global allies and partners, and not vendors from nations it deems to be a security risk.
Funding from the NTIA is provided through The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.