Wireless ISPs continue to urge the FCC not to relocate citizens broadband radio service operations from any portion of the 3.55-3.70 GHz band to another band. CBRS advocates have been pushing against any major change to the band. NCTA is encouraging service providers to file comments at the FCC opposing proposals to increase power levels (see 2511130037).
The FCC should retain its current citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) rules, said Cambium Networks in a letter posted in docket 17-258 Monday. “Increases to permitted power in some or all of the band would undermine deployments that are providing vital services to American communities.” Reallocating portions of the CBRS band or increasing the maximum power would require Cambium to replace its equipment “at significant operator and consumer expense,” the company said. “Further, permitting significantly higher power levels would lead to waste in [the] BEAD program, as existing CBRS equipment supporting fixed wireless BEAD deployments would need to be replaced and such costs have not been included in BEAD,” Cambium added. “It is inconsistent for the federal government to make billions of dollars available for broadband deployment and expect recipients to invest their own capital, at the same time that it calls into question the usefulness of the most relied-upon spectrum for broadband deployment.”
Wireless ISPs continued to weigh in at the FCC last week to oppose major changes to rules for the citizens broadband radio service band (see 2512010052). Questions remain about the future of the band, with some wireless carriers looking at the spectrum for full-powered licensed use, and others urging higher power levels for some operations (see 2511260031).
NCTA opposed a waiver request from Brownsville, Texas, asking to operate a city network that uses the citizens broadband radio service band at +60 dBm effective isotropic radiated power, which is higher than the +47 dBm allowed by FCC rules (see 2511250015). The group is concerned that approving the waiver “would increase the risk of interference with other CBRS operations, undermining the carefully calibrated framework that is vital to the band’s success,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 17-258.
New Era Broadband, a wireless ISP in Ohio, opposed any move to relocate the citizens broadband radio service band or raise power levels (see 2511260031). Moving the band would “basically put us out of business,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 17-258. “Drastically changing the CBRS rules could cost our business, which would directly impact 7 jobs, nearly 800 internet users, multiple first responders, firehouses, township operations.”
The outlook for the citizens broadband radio service band appears uncertain, with some wireless carriers looking at the spectrum for full-powered licensed use and CBRS advocates defending it as an important band for sharing and unlicensed use. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has had little to say about CBRS since he took over the helm at the commission.
Brownsville, Texas, is seeking a waiver from the FCC to operate a city network that uses the citizens broadband radio service band at +60 dBm effective isotropic radiated power, which is higher than the +47 dBm allowed by agency rules. In a filing posted Monday, the city emphasized that it’s located on the Mexican border and uses the network for border security. The higher power levels would mean the city needs about a third as many nodes to operate the network, it said. “The City’s planned outdoor applications -- spanning public safety, border security, and critical infrastructure operations -- require broader signal reach and fewer network nodes than the existing limits allow.”
A group of American manufacturing companies and rural broadband providers on Monday announced the launch of the 5G American-Made Coalition to defend the continued use of the citizens broadband radio service band as a shared band. “For the first time in decades, American companies are designing and building 5G equipment here at home, strengthening our supply chains, and further enabling the reindustrialization of our country,” said John Puskar, the coalition's CEO. Among the members listed on its website are Abside Networks, Cambium Networks, Keysight Technologies, Nextlink, Skylark Wireless and Tarana.
Service providers should file comments at the FCC opposing proposals to increase power levels in the citizens broadband radio service band or to reallocate the band, NCTA board member Sandra Howe urged Thursday in a blog post. The future of CBRS is “at risk,” she wrote. “CBRS democratizes mid-band spectrum” and “enables [wireless ISPs,] cable operators, schools, hospitals, utilities, farms, and local governments to build private and localized LTE/5G networks.” With county-level licenses, a three-tier sharing model “and a mature device ecosystem, CBRS has lowered the barrier to entry for operators who’ve historically lacked access to prime spectrum.”
Private cellular networks are growing worldwide and can offer advantages over both Wi-Fi and more traditional networks offered by carriers, experts said Tuesday during RCR Wireless’ Industrial Wireless Forum. A variety of spectrum bands are being used, including the citizens broadband radio service band in the U.S., speakers said.