The Growth of CBRS & the Impact of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing
The Growth of CBRS & the Impact of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing
May 4, 2023
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Despite a CTIA report questioning Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) last year, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recently praised the success of the CBRS band, referencing a new report from the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) that proves it is working.
Many people across the country rely heavily on radio spectrum for much of their day-to-day activities, including text messaging and car navigation. However, while demand for spectrum continues to grow, access to it is limited. To allow for greater access, CBRS was thought of as a creative approach for dynamic spectrum sharing between the Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial spectrum users. This ultimately means the DOD can use the same spectrum for its critical missions while companies use it for 5G and high-speed Internet deployment.
“Innovative spectrum sharing frameworks are key to unlocking additional bandwidth for wireless connectivity across the country,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information April McClain-Delaney said. “The success and growth of the CBRS band shows the promise of dynamic spectrum sharing to make more efficient use of this finite resource.”
Although questions arose about the effectiveness of CBRS, a new report from the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) prove that it is working. ITS performed an “independent, objective” analysis of CBRS device deployment, using data between April 1, 2021-January 1, 2023. Here are some of their findings:
The number of CBRS devices grew by 121 percent nationwide.
CBRS deployments grew at a steady rate with a mean quarterly increase of 12 percent.
By the end of the reporting period, there were 128,351 active devices in DPA-impacted counties with a total population of 232,348,897 residents.
More than 70 percent of all active devices are deployed in rural census blocks.
This report has provided insight into CBRS and how it is playing a key role in connecting rural parts of the country as well as how dynamic spectrum sharing can work for the federal government and the private sector.