Viaero President denies use of Huawei technology, wants it removed from remaining structures

SIDNEY -- A story in September 2022 says technology used near Offutt Air Force Base and the missile silos may compromise military security, a claim Viaero Wireless President and CEO denies.

Frank DiRico, president and CEO of Viaero Wireless, told News Channel Nebraska this week his company hasn't used Huawei technology "in a couple of years." He added no officials have contacted him regarding the concerns. 

"If I have a problem, I need to know about it," he said.

He said his company is 100 percent compliant with what the government needs done.  He did say the company has a few remaining towers with 

Officials are seeking an investigation into how a Chinese company has its technology within proximity to an an U.S. Air Force Base in Nebraska and missile silos in western Nebraska.  Sen. Steve Erdman (R- District 47) said he's not aware of a concern. He did say the federal government wants setbacks from the wind turbines. 

More than 10,000 military members and civilians working at Offutt Air Force Base could be at risk of having cell phone calls, texts and data seen by the Chinese government because at least one cellular service provider installed Chinese equipment on nearby towers. The security concern also includes missile installations in western Nebraska, specifically Cheyenne County and the surrounding area. Huawei equipment has been found close to Offutt and to nuclear missile silos in Cheyenne County, home to Sidney, several sources told the Nebraska Examiner. 

In addition to Offutt Air Force Base, the Air Force is making plans to upgrade missile sites throughout Nebraska, Wyoming and Northeast Colorado. 

The U.S. Commerce Department is investigating the potential data collection and transmission capabilities of equipment from Chinese tech company Huawei that was installed on cell towers near U.S. military installations, including missile silos in western Nebraska, as Reuters reported.

In September, Crystal Rhoades, a Democrat who represents much of the Omaha area on Nebraska’s Public Service Commission, would not discuss the locations of specific cell phone towers in Nebraska with Chinese equipment on them, citing national security concerns, but she said nearly every Viaero Wireless tower in Nebraska has Huawei equipment on it. She said the company has discussed applying for up to $330 million in federal funds to rip out and replace Chinese equipment in Nebraska with tech approved by the U.S. Department of Defense.

DiRico said there are only a few remaining towers using Huawei equipment; none within proximity to military bases. He said there is some in the missile fields.

"We are in the process of removing all of it," he said.

News Channel Nebraska reached out to the U.S. Air Force with no reply as of January 6.

DiRico said the federal government was going to provide funding to change out the Huawei technology. However, the response from government officials "has been slow coming." He added that Viaero has not been contacted about the missile fields. 

Verizon Wireless, also a wireless and technology provider in western Nebraska, said in March 2021 in an announcement to purchase a Montana service provider "does not use Huawei equipment in any of its network infrastructure and, among other things, will replace all Huawei equipment before integrating Triangle's CDMA network into Verizon Wireless's network," Verizon wrote in a filing with the FCC. In 2019,  CEO Hans Vestberg said Verizon is not using any  Huawei technology.

A spokesperson for Allo Communications also said it is not using Huawei technology. Allo Communications, originally from Imperial, Neb., is developing a new fiber optic network in the Sidney area.

Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have approximately 195,000 employees and we operate in over 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world, according to https://www.huawei.com. Huawei was founded by former members of the Chinese military.

The company has denied that its equipment is a spying threat or that it is working in concert with the Chinese government. Tech experts say the Chinese state can force companies in China to share users’ information, the Nebraska Examiner reports.