• September 20, 2019

• News

•  Industry News

• Share

For those anxiously awaiting the announcement, it’s here – the FCC approves Initial Commercial Deployments in the 3.5 GHz CBRS band.

The CBRS Alliance and the OnGo Spectrum

The CBRS Alliance – an industry organization focused on driving the development, commercialization, and adoption of OnGo™ shared spectrum solutions – has finally reached a historic milestone with the beginning phases of Initial Commercial Deployment (ICD) in the 3.5 GHz CBRS band. In coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and the Department of Defense (DoD), the FCC has approved the initiation of commercial service by Spectrum Access System (SAS) administrators CommScope, Federated Wireless, Amdocs, Google, and Sony. This marks the start of a new era in the wireless industry.

The 3.5 GHz CBRS band, known as “The Innovation Band”, is valued at 15.6 billion and paves the way to an immense market opportunity for enterprises, operators, industrial players, and the broader U.S. economy. Certain leading organizations have already developed solutions and services to support the use of OnGo – these organizations include AT&T, Charter Communications, and Verizon.

The Demand for Spectrum Data

Increased adoption of wireless technology by businesses and consumers will contribute to a nearly insatiable demand for data. This demand cannot be supported by existing spectrum.. The amount of spectrum currently available is unable to meet the growing demand of businesses, consumers, and connected machines – to say nothing of the increasing number of data-heavy applications such as video, AR/VR, and Industrial IoT. Many are concerned it could take years – perhaps decades – for new spectrum to become available for commercial use using traditional methods.

According to Dave Wright, President of the CBRS Alliance, “Bringing OnGo to market required close industry and government collaboration. There’s been an unprecedented amount of coordination and joint development to implement the FCC’s framework, prepare the industry for imminent deployments and certify components and devices.” He also expressed his gratitude on behalf of the CBRS Alliance, to the many organizations involved in this effort, including the FCC, the NTIA, the DoD, the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, the Wireless Innovation Forum, and the over 140 members that “contributed their time, energy and innovation to making commercial OnGo services a reality.”

Adoption of CBRS Spectrum

Earlier this year, Google, Samsung, LG, Motorola Mobility, and Motorola Solutions launched the first commercial handsets authorized to operate in the 3.5 GHz CBRS band, and Apple just revealed their new iPhone 11 is ready for CBRS.

Hank Hultquist, Vice President of the Federal Regulatory, AT&T, had this to say: “CBRS spectrum is a critical piece to our rollout of next-generation fixed wireless, and we’re excited to bring this service to consumers across the country. We applaud the efforts of the FCC, the NTIA, and the Defense Department for working with the CBRS Alliance and its industry partners to enable the adoption of so many creative, shared spectrum solutions. This is a game-changer.”

Officials from Verizon, Motorola, and Charter Communications joined in expressing the commitment of each of their companies to bring spectrum and the resulting capacity to customers – both consumer and business.

OnGo is prepared to open a large amount of mid-band spectrum for 5G services, which is yet another pioneering move that strengthens the U.S.’ position at the forefront of the global race to 5G. FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly noted this coming development will set the stage for the first mid-band 5G deployments in the country. Once started, that would enable OnGo 5G services in early 2020.

Naren Muthiah, Director of Market & Product Strategy at Tessco Technologies, adds, “The CBRS launch marks a paradigm shift in how spectrum will be utilized in the future. This approach democratizes spectrum hence bringing various applications and stakeholders mainstream. Tessco is excited to play an important role in enabling this ecosystem of customers and supplier partners.”

For more information on the CBRS Alliance, and a full list of member companies, please visit www.cbrsalliance.org.