WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. intelligence and security agencies are warning that a telecommunications company's plans to use Chinese components could result in spying by Beijing.
National Counterintelligence executive Robert Bryant briefed House and Senate intelligence committees over the past few months about the risks of a Chinese company, Huawei Technologies, providing key components of the fourth generation, or 4G, wireless network in the United States, The Washington Times reported.
"If Huawei builds the components for our cell towers in the U.S. 4G network, then every cell tower is a potential listening post for Beijing," Edward Timperlake, the Pentagon's former director of technology assessment, said.
Officials with Amerilink Telecom Corp., the company wanting to use Huawei components for cell towers, met with the National Security Agency's Information Business Affairs Office to try to assuage concerns that Beijing could launch a cyberattack or listen in on conversations on the 4G network through Chinese-made hardware and software, the Times said.
Amerilink has proposed to build and install Huawei components on cell towers for Sprint, expected to decide on Amerilink's proposal soon.
Amerilink Chief Executive Officer Kevin Packingham, a former Sprint executive, would not comment to the Times about his meetings with the NSA, but confirmed that company representatives met with federal officials to discuss security concerns and Amerilink's proposal to sweep the Chinese equipment and code for bugs and electronic vulnerabilities.
"We take these concerns very seriously, and our entire operations are being built to address them," Packingham said. "Under our proposal, Huawei would not provide any hardware, software or firmware to Sprint."
Huawei declined the Times' request for comment.
(c) United Press International (UPI)
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