CBRS gets a boost under new FCC usage rules

The FCC announced new rules governing commercial operations in 3.5GHz CBRS that will expand unencumbered services in the band to an additional 72 million people across more than a dozen states.

“Today, we are improving access to the 3.5GHz band for tens of millions of Americans,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement. “The CBRS dynamic spectrum sharing framework is already fertile ground for wireless innovation, and through collaboration with Department of Defense, NTIA and stakeholders, we are expanding opportunities for reliable spectrum access while also ensuring that federal incumbents remain protected.”

At issue are the Dynamic Protection Area (DPA) neighborhoods along coastlines and around federal facilities throughout the country. DPAs are areas where federal users such as the US Navy can boot commercial users out of part of the CBRS band. That capability can pose challenges to network operators in DPA locations, such as fixed wireless access (FWA) providers that promise reliable, high-speed services.

Thus, a reduction in the size of the US government’s DPA areas may make networks in CBRS spectrum more reliable in more locations.

According to the FCC, users in Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Arizona are among those affected by the new rules.

The FCC’s new rules are sure to please companies such as Dish Network, Federated Wireless, Amazon Web Services, Nextlink Internet and Airspan, which are all working to build businesses around wireless services in the spectrum band.

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