Our Partner Conference CBRS Roundtable Review

Do you have a 3.65 license now? 

What are my options if I don’t have 3.65 license?

There are some licenses up for sale, Bai Cells is aware of some sellers.

Some WISPs are applying for experimental licenses, and most are getting approved.  However, experimental licenses are not guaranteed to get renewed and are not meant for commercial use, but can be used to test LTE products in live environments.

How long does it take to get an experimental license?

3-4 weeks.

Part of the FCC proposal on the CBRS band is to allow bidding for chunks of spectrum, bidders could be anyone, up to and including companies like Verizon.  Do you feel this is fair?  Do you feel you are prepared to compete with Verizon?

No.  Competing with major carrier is a concern of the group.

Do you plan to or are you thinking of deploying 3.65 LTE?

  More than half of the attendees have deployed LTE, the rest are considering it.

What is your understanding of the CBRS band?

Some had a general idea, not all. 

Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) will allow the deployment of services in the 3550 MHz to 3700 MHz band.  It will allow enterprises, cable operators and large industrial users to build their own private LTE and Internet of Things (IoT) networks, while operators can use CBRS to offer high capacity LTE services.

What is the difference between a PAL and a GAA license?

PAL will be made available through an (undetermined) auction process, the auctioning is expected to take place by the end of 2018, however this is not guaranteed.

Do you plan on bidding in the licensed auction for a PAL?

Some plan on bidding.

Do you see any technical advantages to using CBRS and LTE?

Yes, due to licensed spectrum and advantages of the LTE standard over Wi-Fi based systems.

Do you find the CBRS band to beneficial/better than unlicensed bands?

Yes, as long as the spectrum/license is available, it will offer little to no noise resulting in superior performance over unlicensed bands in most areas.

Do you experience interference on unlicensed bands?

Yes.

If you have a 3.65 license what equipment are you currently deploying?

Cambium Networks, Ubiquiti, Bai Cells and Telrad.

Are you aware of the time frame for a band plan finalization and auction?

Most were not aware.

Are you aware that new license applications are frozen by the FCC until the CBRS band rules are finalized?

 Most were aware.

What type of core are you planning on using and are you planning on investing on your own?

Some will use the Bai Cells cloud core, and some will wait for the Bai Cells stand-alone version.  Others already have a third part core.

What is the difference between the Bai Cells cloud core and the stand-alone version?

The stand-alone version will include all the cloud features and more.

Is anyone trying to do mobility with 3.65 LTE?

Most are focused on fixed wireless, and may consider mobile applications at a later time.

Is Bai Cells CBRS ready?

Yes, once CBRS is finalized, a software update will allow existing Bai Cells base stations to support SAS.

Will the Wi-Fi consumer router be compatible with CBRS? 

Most off-the-shelf or commercial Wi-Fi routers will not communicate with CBRS wirelessly, but can talk to CBRS devices via Ethernet/IP.  The Bai Cells indoor CPE can be used as a Wi-Fi router, and will communicate with the LTE base station wirelessly, however the range for these types of applications will be less than a mile, depending on the obstructions between the indoor CPE and the base station.

Will manufacturers with legacy hardware be compatible with CBRS?

CBRS is not specific to LTE, but to the spectrum.  Proprietary hardware can be SAS compatible as long as they follow the standard, in some cases this may require updated hardware and software.

Will CBRS include 2.5GHz?

No, 2.5 GHz will not be affected by CBRS.