The U.S. Federal Communications Commission approved initial commercial deployments for five Spectrum Access Systems in the 3.5 GHz mid-band spectrum on Sept. 16. The spectrum is also known as the Citizens Broadband Radio Service band, which wireless operators say is crucial for 5G deployment.
Amdocs Inc., CommScope Holding Company Inc., Federated Wireless Inc., Alphabet Inc.'s Google LLC and Sony Electronics Inc. were the companies approved for deployment by the FCC.
Prior to 2015, the band was primarily used by fixed satellite services and federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Defense. In 2015, the FCC sought to promote spectrum sharing among federal and nonfederal users in the 3.5 GHz band. The agency, in collaboration with key stakeholders, established three tiers of users, some of which were nonrenewable and confined geographically to a single census tract for three or six years.
In an effort to incentivize investment and spur more deployment in the band, the FCC voted in 2018 to alter the licensing terms to be more in line with traditional wireless licenses. Because CBRS spectrum will be shared among three tiers of users, a Spectrum Access System is needed to manage and assign the spectrum on a dynamic, as-needed basis.
In a tweet, FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly called the news "incredibly exciting," saying that the approval "means we're opening mid-band spectrum for unlicensed-like service."
Mid-band spectrum is seen as important for 5G since high band cannot travel far distances or penetrate certain surfaces, and low-band spectrum has become crowded due to 4G wireless services.
The CBRS Alliance, an industry group that advocates for "the development, commercialization, and adoption of LTE solutions" for the CBRS band, also welcomed the announcement, saying it marks the "beginning of a new era in the wireless industry." Board members of the group include representatives from Intel Corp., Google and Nokia Corp.
The alliance says the band is valued at $15.6 billion.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has said he intends for the agency to hold an auction in the 3.5 GHz band in 2020.
