What Is CBRS
CBRS Networks
Citizens Broadband Radio Service
CBRS is a (acronym derived from the first letters of the prominent words) for Citizen Broadband Radio Service, and the opportunity for IT pros to enable businesses and special projects to build their own private 4G/5G networks. Resulting in improved 4G/5G offerings from service providers. Here’s an easy reading on CBRS–because you are going to want to know about this.
What is CBRS then?
CBRS is a band of radio-frequency spectrum from 3.5GHz to 3.7GHz that the Federal Communications Commission has designated for sharing among three tiers of users: incumbent users, priority licensees and generally authorized, which is lightly licensed.
Who’s going to use this spectrum?
- Carriers look forward to using it to extend coverage and ability of their 4G LTE and 5G networks. As we know from their efforts to squeeze into the 5 GHz band used for Wi-Fi via a technology called LTE-U, carriers look for access to more spectrum. But cable operators looking to get into wireless also want in on this action, as will mixed managed service providers, which could include businesses such as building management companies that need to communicate wirelessly with on site devices. What’s more, businesses could use the spectrum to set up their own 4G and 5G networks with which they could connect their IoT devices including factory robots. The services work both indoors and outdoors.
- Citizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) is a 150 MHz wide broadcast band of the 3.5 GHz band (3550 MHz to 3700 MHz) in the United States.[1] In 2017, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) completed a process which began in 2012 to establish rules for commercial use of this band, while reserving parts of the band for the US Federal Government to limit interference with US Navy radar systems and aircraft communications.[2][3][4]
- On January 27, 2020, the FCC approved full use of the CBRS band for wireless service providers with the restrictions implemented to prevent interference with military use of the spectrum.[4][5][6] Under the new rules, wireless carriers using CBRS might be able to send out and use 5G mobile networks without having to buy/own/receive spectrum licenses.[1]
- Citizen Broadband Radio Service is managed by a three tier spectrum authorization process to provide a variety of commercial uses on a shared basis with federal and non-federal users of the band in the US. Access and operations will be managed by a spectrum access system, almost the same as the SAAS System used to manage Television White Spaces devices. The three levels are: Military Access, Priority Access, and General Approved Access.[10]Incumbent Access users include authorized federal and grandfathered fixed satellite service users currently operating in the 3.5 GHz Band.[10] Under the rules promulgated by the FCC, these users, particularly including US Navy radar operators,[11] will be protected from harmful interference from Priority Access and General Authorized Access users.[10] Existing 3650–3700 MHz band operations “are grandfathered for up to 5 years”, with the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology charged with soliciting public comment on “the appropriate methodology for defining the grandfathered wireless protection zone contours”.[12]
- The Priority Access tier consists of Priority Access Licenses (PALs) that will be assigned using competitive bidding within the 3550-3650 MHz portion of the band. Each PAL is defined as a non-renewable authorization to use a 10 megahertz channel in a single census tract for three-years. Up to seven total PALs may be assigned in any given census tract with up to four PALs going to any single applicant. Applicants may acquire up to two-consecutive PAL terms in any given license area during the first auction.
- The General Authorized Access tier is licensed-by-rule to permit open, flexible access to the band for the widest possible group of potential users. General Authorized Access users are permitted to use any portion of the 3550-3700 MHz band not assigned to a higher tier user and may also operate opportunistically on unused Priority Access channels.
Use of the CBRS band will not require spectrum licenses, and is expected to reduce the cost of data transmissions.[13] This will enable carriers “to deploy 5G faster and easier, using the shared airwaves instead of trying to acquire spectrum licenses at auction or through deals”.[1] Since these frequencies have historically been used for government purposes, users of the CBRS band will be required to “take care not to interfere with others already using nearby airwave bands in some locations, including military radar stations and satellite receiver stations”.[13] As with Wi-Fi, CBRS equipment will be deployed to individual building owners, and those owners, or end users occupying the property, would pay a fee for spectrum allocation through a server.[11]
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