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Ericsson moves mmWave radio production from Texas to Estonia
Ericsson has stopped making millimetre wave (mmWave) radios at its 5G factory in Lewisville, Texas, and moved the production to its manufacturing site in Estonia, Light Reading reports. The radios were the first products made at the US plant when it opened in 2020.
“Production of the mmWave radio products previously manufactured at our factory in Lewisville, Texas, was consolidated at our manufacturing site in Estonia. This was a production-footprint decision and does not represent a discontinuation of Ericsson’s mmWave portfolio,” Ericsson said in a statement to Light Reading.
The company says it continues to support its customers with mmWave solutions, but it doesn’t disclose production volumes, demand levels or individual deliveries.
According to Light Reading, the move suggests that US operators aren’t buying as many of Ericsson’s mmWave radios. Since the radios will now be shipped from Europe, they will presumably be subject to US tariffs. According to Light Reading, the decision suggests Ericsson has judged the volumes small enough to make that worthwhile, compared with making them in the US. Ericsson says it continuously assesses trade and tariff developments, and has a globally diversified supply chain.
The Lewisville factory, which employs around 500 people, opened in 2020 after an investment of USD 100 million. In 2024, Ericsson invested another USD 50 million to expand production of Massive MIMO radios and its RAN Compute platform. Neither Ericsson nor Light Reading says whether any jobs are affected by the mmWave move, or what the freed-up capacity will be used for.
