WASHINGTON-The Department of Defense today refused to say whether its inspector general is investigating a high-level official who allegedly attempted to convert a project to build a nationwide first-responder network in Iraq into a non-compete contract to provide commercial CDMA mobile-phone service throughout the country.
John Shaw, deputy undersecretary for international technology security at the Pentagon, reportedly pressured officials of the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq to steer the first responder contract to a CDMA consortium headed by NANA Pacific-an Alaska native firm-in a way that would not require competing bids.
The Los Angeles Times, quoting Shaw and others, reported April 29 that Shaw-contacted by key lawmakers on the Iraq wireless buildout-met with officials from Qualcomm Inc. and Lucent Technologies Inc., top U.S. CDMA vendors, to pitch the plan.
“The IG is unable to discuss this matter at this time,” said Rose-Ann Lynch, a defense spokeswoman.
Shaw declined a request to be interviewed.
A CDMA group unsuccessfully applied for three regional Iraqi mobile-phone licenses awarded last year, losing out to GSM partnerships. European GSM technology is prevalent in the Middle East. After complaints about the Iraqi license selection process, the Pentagon IG conducted a preliminary probe and later referred the matter outside the department.
