Ericsson's CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) portfolio has been certified by the FCC in the United States. The 3.5 GHz CBRS band for LTE will be used to improve wireless broadband access and performance in the U.S.
This technology uses 150 MHz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band. It shares this spectrum with the federal government for radar systems and commercial fixed satellite systems. Portions of the band have been approved for shared use and radio equipment supporting CBRS is now available, including Ericsson's indoor and outdoor small cell offerings, part of the industry-leading Ericsson Radio System:
- Radio Dot System – offering the highest performing and most flexible indoor CBRS solution in the industry, supporting up to 600 Mbps and multi-operator deployments
- Radio 2208 – delivering the highest allowable power output for outdoor CBRS deployments, ensuring robust, wide-area coverage and capacity
The shared spectrum approach adopted in the CBRS band is key to meeting service providers' network capacity challenges as data demands increase. CBRS will also open up new opportunities for private LTE operators, enterprise and cable companies, and will support mobile broadband and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) applications.
According to Dell'Oro, the CBRS market will grow at a rapid pace between 2018 and 2022 with total RAN investments approaching $1 billion and CBRS RAN shipments will eclipse half a million units. Ericsson's small cell offering, part of Ericsson Radio System, will enable both operators and non-operators alike to capitalize on the CBRS opportunity through their extensive portfolio.