While American Products posted record sales and deliveries in 2023, the telecommunications industry slowed in regard to new projects and capital investments.
You can learn more about the status of the industry in 2023 here.
Thankfully, 2024 is looking up, due in part to government stimulus funds that will be released later in the year. Let’s take a closer look at these incentives, as well as how American Products can help organizations build out infrastructure while still qualifying for the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act.
Federal Funding Summary
In 2022, the U.S. government signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. The law provided $370 billion in funds to help organizations improve United States infrastructure in a variety of ways. A significant portion of that money was meant for clean energy projects, including wind and solar farms and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
Before that, the government had signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law in 2021. Among many other provisions, this law established the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The program earmarked $42.25 billion in federal funding to expand high-speed internet access. The funding will help cover planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs.
BABA
While the above-mentioned acts and programs provide funding, BABA provides guidance regarding what products and materials can be used to earn the funds. Enacted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, BABA is a key component of the Inflation Reduction Act and BEAD program. It requires that when seeking federal funding for their telecom and/or energy transition projects, organizations ensure that a majority (at least 55%) of a project’s component costs include American-made iron, steel, construction materials, e.g., non-ferrous materials like aluminum, and manufactured products.
Simply put, if an organization is building out a fiber network with a series of cabinets, 55% of the component cost for the fiber and cabinets must be American-made and/or -sourced materials and components. By meeting that requirement, organizations can qualify for monetary incentives via the above-mentioned programs.
American Products Infrastructure Support
At American Products, we build every single one of our enclosures in-house at our manufacturing facility in Strafford, MO. In addition, we source materials and components from other U.S. manufacturers and suppliers as much as possible.
This means that when we work with a telecom or energy transition organization, our products will help them satisfy the BABA needs for funding.
AP FORT®
When working with telecom organizations to help them build out their networks, one of American Products’ most popular enclosure solutions is the AP FORT shelter. In addition to protecting a wide variety and high quantity of telecom, communications and network equipment, the AP Fort protects technicians from the elements while they are on-site.
American Products shelters are crafted from heavy-duty steel. The walls, floor, ceiling and joists are all galvanized steel and the hardware, e.g., door handles and hinges, are 304 stainless steel. This ensures the shelter will stand up to the elements and resist corrosion for years to come.
The interior is insulated to retain heat and/or keep the interior cool, depending on the deployment location. To help further, we offer a variety of climate control options.
The AP FORT also comes with factory-integrated pre-wiring for whatever service and electrical components the customer requests.
The shelter is rated NEMA 3R, which means it will protect personnel against incidental contact with enclosed equipment while also protecting equipment from falling dirt, rain, sleet, snow and external ice formation.
The AP FORT is designed and built to Telcordia specifications for the telecommunications industry.
AP FREEDOM™
When building out their networks, some organizations prefer alternatives to the shelters to house their key equipment. For some, it might be space constraints-they would prefer to use a cabinet as it will allow them to deploy to right of ways easier. They also might just prefer to bypass the need for the various regulations and certifications that would apply to a shelter.
One of our most popular cabinets is the AP FREEDOM. It is available with single, double or triple bays and features front and rear doors for easy access to equipment. Inside, it also comes standard with equipment-mounting rails and is pre-wired with a quad electrical outlet and 10-position dual-lug ground bar per bay.
The AP FREEDOM is constructed from heavy-gauge aircraft-grade aluminum with 304 stainless steel hardware. This ensures that it can stand up to even the harshest elements and locales. The cabinet is also rated NEMA 4X, which means it will protect equipment inside from falling dirt, dust, rain, sleet, snow, external ice formation, splashing water, wind-driven water and corrosion.
The AP FREEDOM is also designed and built to Telcordia specifications for telecom, and it is ETL Certified and tested to UL 50, UL 50E and CSA C22.
Contract Manufacturing Capabilities
For the projects where a standard enclosure solution isn’t the right fit, American Products can work directly with organizations to develop and build enclosures to their specs. We can help telecom and energy transition customers with a variety of solutions and enclosures.
By tapping into our contract manufacturing capabilities, customers can get the solution they want with the help of our top-class manufacturing facility and talented team.
If you’re interested in learning more about how American Products can help you build out your network while still qualifying for BABA, please contact our enclosure specialists at 417.736.2135.