Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1132978
52 I ICT TODAY CBRS Spectrum While 5G services will use wireless frequencies leased to cellular operators, new CBRS spectrum coming to market could enable private enterprises to have their own communications networks that do not need to use licensed wireless spectrum from cellular carriers. This CBRS technology uses the cellular LTE protocol, but it is similar to Wi-Fi in that it is shared spectrum. In 2015, the FCC established a new CBRS band for shared wireless broadband use by authorizing the 3.5 GHz spectrum band (3550 MHz to 3700 MHz), which had previously been allocated exclusively for the U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense (DoD) entities. CBRS uses TD-LTE and supports voice, text and high-speed data technologies much like LTE does on other cellular frequency bands. However, the FCC decided to allocate CBRS spectrum to owners and users in a slightly different method than traditional cellular—where operators lease large holdings covering miles of various geography—and Wi-Fi, which is completely unlicensed. Instead, the spectrum will be assigned and used individually by various users. When the spectrum is not being used, it may be "recycled" and assigned to different users. CBRS offers a variety of potential advantages to stakeholders: • It can allow nontraditional carriers to enter the wireless market. • The propagation characteristics of the 3.5 GHz spectrum allow CBRS BASICS The 150 megahertz of CBRS shared spectrum falls into three user categories: incumbents (DoD); priority access licenses (PALs); and general access licenses (GALs). There are several services that assist in coordinating access to this spectrum. Spectrum Access System (SAS) is a cloud-based service that coordinates access to the shared spectrum, enforc- ing priorities and modeling the RF environment. Environmental sensing capability (ESC) incor- porates environmental sensors deployed in strategic locations near naval stations, mostly along coastal regions, to detect incumbent activities. Incumbents, including U.S. Naval Radar and DoD personnel, get permanent priority as well as site-specific protection for registered sites. PAL holders can pay a fee to request 10-mega- hertz licenses on a county-by- county basis for 10 years. Up to seven 10-megahertz licenses can be awarded in one county. PAL licensees can partition or disaggregate their licenses in order to sell them on the second- ary market. General authorized access (GAA) encompasses the rest of the spectrum, which will be open to GAA use, and coexis- tence issues will be determined by SAS providers for spectrum allocation. GAA users will have access to 80 megahertz of spectrum in every market as well as the 70 megahertz of PAL spectrum when it is not being used. it to be deployed similarly to Wi-Fi networks and installed in a floor-by-floor fashion inside of buildings. • LTE's superior quality, perfor- mance and security bodes well to transition Wi-Fi routers into CBRS-compatible gateways. • CBRS is supported by a variety of stakeholders, including radio and handset OEMs, wireless carriers and cable operators, mobile virtual network operators and neutral- host providers. There is potential for tremendous benefit for enterprises to use CBRS to help support their communica- tion requirements. IoT applications and devices can automate, track and sense elements in all areas of operations to help drive efficiencies in corporate operations. Traditional IoT applications that were sup- ported by wide area networks or Wi-Fi can be phased into a CBRS network if an enterprise or third- party provider obtains the licenses for development and use. "The planned enhancements in wireless networks, specifically the upcoming 5G network service and CBRS spectrum availability, have created opportunities for commercial real estate owners to capitalize on this groundbreaking technological shift in the 2020s and beyond," says Horinko. "From a safety and security perspective, 5G will transmit higher-definition video surveillance and provide a link to outdoor networks for seamless autonomous vehicle traffic in