Open RAN to Run Down Huawei
March 20, 2020
China’s top networking and telecom company Huawei is poised to dominate the world’s 5G wireless network, and we’re told the CIA took matters into its own hands years ago. The Washington Times reports, “CIA Funnels Cash to Private Company Aimed at Defeating Huawei.” Instead of waiting for Congress, the Justice Department, the Pentagon, and the White House to agree on a path, the CIA contracted venture capital fund In-Q-Tel to find a solution. Reporter Ryan Lovelace writes:
“Christopher Darby, the president and CEO of In-Q-Tel, told the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence last month that the venture capital fund began investing in 5G technology seven years ago. He said in a hearing that his fund has identified Parallel Wireless, a telecommunications service provider based in New Hampshire, as part of a government solution to concerns about Huawei’s threats to national security. Parallel Wireless uses a software-centered approach for building radio access network (RAN) capability that would ‘eliminate the need to spend millions of dollars on new equipment and infrastructure upgrades,’ according to a document on the company’s website. Parallel Wireless says its ‘Open RAN,’ which requires minimum maintenance, is ready for deployment immediately. Steve Papa, co-founder, chairman and CEO, said Parallel Wireless is fortunate that In-Q-Tel is proactively fighting Chinese domination of telecommunications. ‘Parallel Wireless is committed to destroying the threat Huawei poses to the free world,’ Mr. Papa said in an email. ‘We are actively working to ensure America and the world are free from the constraints of Huawei. Parallel works with many companies, many governments and many government agencies including In-Q-Tel.’”
Some in positions of power, like the attorney general, remain unconvinced Open RAN is a viable solution. Others are critical of In-Q-Tel itself. The fund was launched in 1999 as an investment firm for the intelligence community, which naturally means its investments were made with taxpayer dollars. Yet top-earning employees at the company have profited greatly from the fund’s success—several with annual salaries greater than $500,000 and with Darby himself making over $1.6 million in 2017 alone.
Be that as it may, it is beside the point of whether Parallel Wireless is indeed the answer to our Huawei problem. Will the CIA convince the rest of the federal government this is the solution?
Cynthia Murrell, March 20, 2020
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