Huawei Had 'Limited Involvement' in WinnForum 3.5 GHz Sharing Work, Pai Says

Huawei had “limited involvement” in the Wireless Innovation Forum Spectrum Sharing Committee's work developing the spectrum access system (SAS) and environmental sensing capability (ESC) technologies for sharing the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai told seven senators in letters posted Thursday. Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and five others wrote Pai and then-acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan in June about their concerns (see 1906060015). The company is under scrutiny from lawmakers worried it could affect security of 5G technology (see 1905230066). Blackburn and others eye legislation to prevent President Donald Trump's administration from lifting Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security restrictions on Huawei (see 1907220053). The company's involvement in the WinnForum work has effectively ceased because “its membership was suspended on May 21,” Pai wrote. “I have also been informed that Huawei has not had access to any materials regarding military operations, including those of the Navy, beyond what has been made publicly available.” The WinnForum aims “to establish and maintain a secure technological platform that allows users of CBRS spectrum to identify with precision and share as appropriate access to this scarce public resource,” Pai said. “Doing so effectively and efficiently will speed deployment of services, particularly those involving 5G.”