Never mind those Chinese spies: US Air Force picks Verizon for 35 base network upgrades

Salt Typhoon? Unpatched network kit? Sorry, I think you're breaking up

Never mind that whole Salt Typhoon hiccup - Verizon's reputation hit hasn't stopped it from securing a deal to upgrade the networks on 35 US Air Force bases with new 4G and 5G kit. 

The largest cellular service provider in the US confirmed the contract yesterday, describing it as the seventh win out of eight attempts to score a deal to upgrade cellular networks on the branch's state-side facilities through the Air Force's Opportunity to Lease (OTL) program. 

Verizon will be installing C-band equipment, macro and small cell towers on bases in 24 US states and Washington, D.C. as part of phase 3 of the OTL program, following on from previous awards the telco received in OTL phases 1a, 1b, 2 and 2b between 2019 and 2023. Those previous OTL awards saw Verizon install cellular equipment on more than three dozen USAF bases. No financial details for the latest gain was provided.

"This … serves as a testament to the trust the U.S. Air Force has in the strength and speed of our network, as well as the quality of the professional and managed services expertise they gain from our people," said Maggie Hallbach, SVP of Verizon's public sector division. 

Whether the deal was made before or after Verizon admitted to having been part of the group of US telecom providers breached by the Salt Typhoon group of Chinese-linked cyberspies is unknown, and Verizon didn't respond to our questions for this story.

Salt Typhoon gained a foothold in an estimated nine US telecom companies, Verizon among them, last year, reportedly accessing law enforcement data-sharing systems and general internet traffic from individuals and businesses. 

The break-in is considered to be the worst of its kind in the history of the US telco industry, with Verizon admitting in an earlier statement to The Register that Chinese operators had access "a small number of high-profile customers in government and politics" during the intrusion. 

Verizon has since claimed it has ejected Salt Typhoon from its networks, as have several other corporate victims.

Unpatched network devices from Fortinet and Cisco were reportedly used by Chinese spies to gain access to the affected carriers.

It's not clear whether the latest deal with the US Air Force bases will replace telecom equipment from Chinese firms which the US has committed to eradicating from its networks.

Outgoing Federal Communications Commission chief Jessica Rosenworcel has pushed for a radio spectrum auction to fund additional rip-and-replace work, which is believed to need an additional $3 billion to complete. The called-for auction would sell rights to unused portions of the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS-3) spectrum, parts of which were last sold off in 2015. 

Verizon was one of the several telcos that spent a combined $45 billion on the airwave sale a decade ago, so even if this latest USAF project isn't eliminating Chinese kit, expect Verizon to likely be involved in whatever comes next. ®