Build America, Buy America
FIS offers products compliant with the Build America, Buy America Act
The “Build America Buy America” provision mandates that certain percentages of the total cost of products used in projects that are funded by the federal government be domestically manufactured. This act aims to increase the threshold of domestic content progressively over the next few years, rising to 65% in 2024, and 75% in 2029. This preference for products made in America has led several companies in the telecommunications industry to seek domestic partnerships or restore manufacturing processes previously sent abroad to reduce costs. This move is expected to have a positive impact on the domestic manufacturing sector and create job opportunities.
Fiber Instrument Sales (FIS) has steadily expanded its manufacturing capabilities in America over the past 38 years
Fiber Instrument Sales (FIS) has steadily expanded its manufacturing capabilities in America over the past 38 years. This move was motivated by several factors, including reducing dependence on off-shore sourcing, gaining greater control over the supply chain, and reducing costs associated with freight and fees. As a manufacturer, FIS is well positioned to help its customers meet the Build America Buy America criteria.
FIS offers the latest technology in metal fabrication in the manufacturing of standard and customized fiber distribution centers and cross-connect enclosures.
The facility houses advanced equipment such as metal punches, brakes, powder coat paint booths, ovens, welders, silk screeners, and a fully operational machine shop. This setup allows FIS to reduce transit costs and provide customers with the best value in manufacturing fiber interconnects for various deployments such as racks and wall mountable solutions, pole mount cabinets, or pedestal distribution centers for FTTH. Moreover, the cross-connect adapter plates come equipped with a choice of connector styles, and pre-terminated assemblies are installed at FIS, saving on-site installation time. FIS's fabrication operation is an efficient solution that delivers high-quality enclosures and interconnects to customers.
Giotto Enterprises
FIS, a part of Giotto Enterprises, is a vertically integrated company that produces several components necessary for delivering broadband services to underserved areas. The Upstate New York campus boasts ten extruders that manufacture fiber optic cables in collaboration with Corning Optical Fiber. These extruders buffer individual fibers before jacketing them in different bundles, resulting in enterprise cables for data centers, indoor/outdoor cables for campus or DAS cables with or without aluminum interlocking armor. In addition is manufacturing of drop cable for applications related to Fiber to the home interconnecting junction box on side of the house to outside pole or below surface hand hole. Simplex and duplex cabling is manufactured for patch cables and available in all fiber types including, OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, OM5 and OS1 and OS2.
Passive Optical Connections
FIS also offers passive optical connections like FIS Cheetah and Armordillo splice-on connectors that are prepped, cleaved, and packaged at FIS. In addition, the mechanical FIS Lab Splice and Ultrasplice are manufactured within Giotto Enterprises at its Molding Solutions Division which features over 30 injection molding machines with up to 550-ton capacity.
Contractor’s Choice
FIS is the contractor’s choice for fiber optic products, including test equipment, splicers, tools, and consumables. Additionally, FIS's manufacturing capabilities can be of use to broadband providers who are focused on building networks to connect underserved communities across America. FIS maintains partnerships with suppliers both domestically and abroad, allowing them to confirm compliance with BABA requirements throughout the manufacturing process. To ensure regulatory requirements are met, customers should specify any relevant requirements to their FIS sales associate at the time of quotation or order placement.