Fortress Solutions Partners with Airspan on $42.7 Million NTIA NOFO 2 Grant Award to Advance Open RAN Technology Development

PLANO, Texas, April 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fortress Solutions, a global leader in telecom and technology services, partnered with Airspan Networks Inc. in support of a $42.7 million grant awarded under the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)'s Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (PWSCIF) NOFO 2.

Airspan, a U.S.-based provider of ground-breaking, open radio access network (Open RAN) solutions and wireless access hardware, was recently selected by the NTIA to receive funding under the second round of the Innovation Fund. The NOFO 2 initiative invests in open radio unit (RU) commercialization and innovation, specifically focusing on accelerating the development of open RUs and improving their performance and capabilities through targeted research and development to enable interoperable, standards-based Open RAN networks in the United States.

As part of this award, Fortress Solutions will provide component procurement, radio assembly and evaluation testing for multiple band prototype units.  Fortress will leverage its decades of experience in network infrastructure support and its nationwide footprint to help validate and sustain advanced wireless technologies in real-world environments.

"It's an honor to support Airspan in this pivotal initiative that aligns directly with our mission to keep critical communication networks running reliably and efficiently," said John Shelnutt, CEO of Fortress Solutions. "The NTIA Innovation Fund represents a strategic investment in U.S.-led wireless innovation, and we're proud to contribute to building secure, open, and resilient 5G infrastructure."

"Open RAN is a cutting-edge architecture that enables advanced 5G features and lays the foundation for what's next. This funding and our partnership with Fortress Solutions enables us to increase our technology investment and accelerate our next-generation Open RAN radios," stated Glenn Laxdal, CEO of Airspan.

This partnership underscores Fortress Solutions' ongoing commitment to strengthening the U.S. wireless ecosystem and supporting the transition to Open RAN architectures, which offer greater vendor diversity, supply chain resilience, and technological innovation.

For more information about the NOFO 2 Innovation Fund, visit the NTIA website.

To learn more about Airspan's role in the project, view their official announcement.

About Fortress Solutions

Fortress Solution is a services and software analytics company, solving complex problems and creating value by building, maintaining and repairing communications networks. Trusted by leading communication service providers and enterprises worldwide, Fortress Solutions' approach includes envisioning, designing, constructing, and nurturing communication network infrastructure. Find out more www.fortsol.com.

SOURCE Fortress Solutions