The regulatory process is (hopefully) nearing an end, trials are ongoing and commercial products are being put through their paces as the telecom industry preps for deployment of LTE in the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band. While the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) needs to make a call on the geographic coverage area and licensure term for shared access to the band, global device testing labs, with the CBRS Alliance’s authorization, are starting to test out compatible products.
For the purposes of commercial sales, CBRS products have the brand name OnGo. CBRS Alliance Executive Director Alan Ewing said in a statement, “OnGo offers valuable opportunities for players across the wireless ecosystem. Cable operators want access to mobile LTE, mobile operators need additional spectrum for increased capacity, and enterprises across a variety of verticals are well-positioned for successful deployments for numerous applications. The launch of the OnGo Certification Program, along with the subsequent approvals of test labs to conduct the necessary testing for interoperability and certification, further indicates the explosive growth of this technology.”
CBRS spectrum sharing has three components: protected use of the spectrum for incumbents such as naval radar systems; Priority Access Licenses that will give licensees (as the name suggests) prioritized access to the band in the absence of incumbents; and General Authorized Access, or unlicensed operation in the band. GAA users and devices must still be register with Spectrum Access System administrators so that the SAS can manage the spectrum appropriately.
Federal Communications Commission certification for CBRS devices requires testing by a WInnForum-approved lab and is open to any technology. The eight approved labs are:
- Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services
- DEKRA
- Nokia Global Product Compliance Laboratory
- Sporton International Inc.
- TÜV SÜD
- Nemko Montreal
- Nemko Ottawa
- Nemko San Diego
“We’re quickly progressing toward the commercial deployment of OnGo – solutions that offer the quality, reliability, and flexibility of LTE, with a simplicity and cost structure more traditionally associated with unlicensed technologies,” CBRS Alliance President Dave Wright said. “The Alliance is enabling a broad range of business opportunities via OnGo Certification. This breadth is also reflected in the diversity of our membership.”
On the trial front, Boingo recently went public with what it called a first-of-its-kind airport deployment of CBRS. The FCC granted Boingo a six-month special temporary authority to conduct testing.
In an interview with RCR Wireless News, Boingo Chief Technology Officer Derek Peterson said the company is supporting around 20 users from Love’s IT department who are equipped with compatible smartphones and dongles for laptops. Ruckus provided the five radio nodes deployed in the airport and Federated Wireless provided the spectrum access system.
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