The FCC has authorised five companies to start initial commercial deployments of services in the shared 3.5 GHz band, known as Citizens Broadband Radio Service in the US. The so-called spectrum access system (SAS) administrators are Amdocs, CommScope, Federated Wireless, Google and Sony.
The five companies have completed testing with the FCC of systems to manage access to the spectrum, without interfering with existing services in the band for the military and other government bodies. Around 150 MHz will be available to deploy commercial services in the band. The final release of the spectrum by the FCC will depend on the results of the initial commercial deployments.
The spectrum is expected to facilitate a range of applications, from private LTE networks and in-building coverage to fixed wireless broadband and small cells. Federated Wireless announced earlier that it already has over 20 customers lined up to test the wireless frequencies. CommScope said its subsidiary Ruckus Networks had developed access points for use in the band, to help provide wireless services in-building, in public spaces and for IoT applications.
LTE and 5G equipment ready
Many other service providers and manufacturers have been preparing for the release of the spectrum. The CBRS Alliance, which has come up with the name 'OnGo' for the services, said the industry is worth a potential USD 15.6 billion. The alliance operates a programme to certify LTE equipment for use in the band and expects to complete by the end of the year its third compatibility release, preparing the way for 5G devices in the band.
The alliance has worked with Google, LG, Motorola and Samsung to launch the first commercial handsets authorized to operate in the CBRS band earlier this year. The new Apple iPhone 11 is also CBRS-ready. Operators such as Verizon, AT&T, Charter Communications and numerous wireless ISPs are members of the CBRS Alliance and said they are preparing to launch services soon as well. They will attend a launch event on 18 September in Washington, DC to discuss the services.
