The only company that produces 5G technology in the United States is now officially up and running in Syracuse. A ribbon cutting ceremony at JMA Wireless Thursday coincided with advancement of federal legislation that encourages computer chip manufacturers to open plants in the U.S.
These two stories could mark the beginning of an historic shift in central New York's economy. The opening of a high-tech 5G building at the same time Congress is pouring billions into incentives to lure high tech chip companies to set up shop in the U.S.
Gov. Kathy Hochul was on hand Thursday to note the completion of the first phase of JMA’s $100 million 5G manufacturing campus. She sees this as a seismic change in the revival of the manufacturing economy of this state.
"This defies what has happened globally for the last many decades, when we haven’t leaned into our innovation and our manufacturing capabilities and our workforce,” Hochul said. “We’ve not done that because those ideas and those jobs went overseas. No more."
John Mezzalingua, CEO of JMA Wireless, believes the investment in tech goes beyond creating a stable supply chain in the U.S.
"I think other countries in the world will want to rely on a U.S. company, in particular a U.S. company with no ties to China,” said Mezzalingua. “So they can trust their communication systems. And we are in a position now to make 5G our greatest export."
Local officials are hoping the Chips and Science Act, which passed in the House Thursday afternoon, and pours $52 billion into the manufacturing of chips in the U.S., will play a big part in attracting a semiconductor chip fabricating plant to the White Pine Industrial site in Clay. Randy Wolken of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York said the impact of this confluence is huge.
“We can no longer depend on Taiwan to make the vast majority of semiconductor chips 30 miles from China,” said Wolken. “So the reality is there is a huge federal investment and a large state investment. It will bring billions, by some estimates ten, twenty, thirty, 100 billion dollars of investment, and we could see 30,000 jobs. That’s the kind of magnitude we’re talking about."
