Federated Wireless has announced that they have officially begun the certification process with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for their Spectrum Access System (SAS). This SAS is designed to bring forth the benefits of shared spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band. The band, known as the Citizen’s Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), was established in April 2015 by the FCC. With the start of this certification process, they will enter the final phase of the regulatory process as they prepare the solution for commercial use.
This Spectrum Access System (SAS) utilizes a three-tiered model designed to protect federal and commercial incumbents that already exist in the 3.5 GHz band and provide access to carriers and other industry participants by allocating spectrum resources through Priority Access Licenses and General Authorized Access. Upon completion of the certification process, they will have the necessary authority to utilize the SAS to alleviate spectrum management challenges and improve the throughput, performance and capacity of wireless networks.
The 3.5 GHz band has been gaining momentum since it was established, including the recent announcement of a CBRS Alliance in which Federated Wireless takes part with major ecosystem partners – Google, Intel, Nokia, Qualcomm, and Ruckus Wireless. This Alliance signaled a strong commitment to the band and to making CBRS solutions widely available. These companies are working towards LTE-based field trials in the second half of this year, and several showcased CBRS-ready technologies at February’s Mobile World Congress event.
The FCC created the 3.5 GHz band to implement new innovations in spectrum licensing and access schemes to meet the needs of a multiplicity of users simultaneously while not interfering with federal users currently utilizing the space. The U.S. military currently uses this band for radar systems that aid in critical national security missions, and the three-tiered model that Federated Wireless’ SAS is based upon is designed to allow commercial access without compromising the U.S. military’s use.
Federated Wireless is also developing their CINQ XP platform, a cloud-hosted data analytics and intelligence solution that provides access to the real-time management of shared spectrum made possible through SAS. It is designed to make it easy for wireless carriers to extend the allocation and management of spectrum resources and enable 5G, the next generation of mobile communications.
Federated Wireless have been instrumental in shaping the ecosystem and standards for the 3.5 GHz band, and have led collaborations with industry partners, including the Wireless Innovation Forum.
