Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) is a band of radio spectrum around 3.5 GHz in the United States that is shared between government users, licensed users and general users under rules set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Businesses, venues, schools and other organizations can use it to run their own LTE or 5G network, a private cellular network, without buying spectrum at auction or depending entirely on a mobile carrier. Access is coordinated automatically by systems that tell each radio which channels it can use and at what power. CBRS is a US framework; other countries manage enterprise access to spectrum in their own ways.
At a glance
- CBRS is spectrum, not a product: a shared US band that private LTE and 5G networks can use.
- Access has three tiers: incumbent users with top priority, priority access licensees, and general authorized access users.
- A Spectrum Access System authorizes each radio and assigns channels and power to limit interference.
- Devices must support the relevant LTE or 5G bands and need a SIM or eSIM for your network.
- Rules are set by the FCC and can change; outside the US, check the national regulator.
What problem it solves
Wi-Fi works well in offices but can struggle in large, open or harsh spaces such as warehouses, ports, yards, factories and campuses, especially for moving devices that need to hand off between access points. Carrier networks, meanwhile, may not cover the inside of a building well, and the business has little control over their capacity, priority or roadmap.
Before CBRS, running your own LTE network in the US generally meant acquiring licensed spectrum, which was expensive and typically out of reach for an enterprise. CBRS opened a shared band with an automated coordination system, so organizations can deploy cellular radios, control their own network and SIMs, and cover large areas with fewer radios than Wi-Fi might need in the same space.
How it works
Three tiers. Incumbent users, such as certain federal radar and satellite operations, have top priority and are protected from interference. Priority Access License (PAL) holders, who bought licenses at auction for specific counties, come next. General Authorized Access (GAA) users can use available channels not in use by higher tiers, without an auctioned license, but must accept coordination and do not get protection from higher tiers.
Spectrum Access System (SAS). Each CBRS radio, called a Citizens Broadband Radio Service Device (CBSD), must register with a certified SAS before transmitting. The SAS tells it which channels and power levels to use and can move or restrict it when higher-priority users need the spectrum. Sensor networks help detect some incumbent activity.
Network. A CBRS network looks like a small mobile network: radios, a core (on site or cloud-hosted), SIMs or eSIMs for each device, and management software. It can run LTE or 5G, using the bands defined for CBRS in each standard.
Installation. Depending on the device type and how it is deployed, installation details must be submitted by a certified professional installer. Indoor, low-power radios usually have simpler requirements than outdoor, higher-power ones.
Shared and neutral-host uses. Beyond private networks, CBRS can be used to extend carrier coverage indoors through a neutral host arrangement, where available and agreed with the carriers involved, as an alternative or complement to a distributed antenna system (DAS).
Our Internet of Things solution page covers how CBRS and other private wireless options fit into connected-device projects.
When it matters for buyers
- Large indoor or outdoor sites. Warehouses, ports, yards, manufacturing plants and campuses are common CBRS deployments.
- Mission-critical devices. Handheld scanners, vehicles, cameras and sensors that need reliable mobile coverage may justify a cellular network.
- Wi-Fi limits. Where Wi-Fi roaming, range or density is the bottleneck, CBRS can complement it.
- Indoor carrier coverage. Some venues explore CBRS-based neutral-host systems alongside or instead of a DAS.
- Sites outside the US. CBRS is a US framework, so multinational organizations need a different spectrum plan for other countries.
Questions to ask vendors
- Will we use General Authorized Access, a Priority Access License, or both, and how will priority users affect our capacity?
- Which Spectrum Access System will you use, and who manages registration and changes?
- Which devices have you tested on this network, and which of ours support the CBRS bands?
- Who owns and operates the core network, SIMs and management platform?
- How will the network integrate with our Wi-Fi, LAN and security tools?
- What happens if the SAS restricts our channels or power at a given site?
- What are the hardware, software, SAS and support costs over the contract term?
How it differs from a private cellular network
A private cellular network is an LTE or 5G network run for one organization. CBRS is one source of spectrum for such a network, and in the US it is a common one. A private network can also use licensed spectrum leased from a mobile carrier or, in some countries, local licenses issued for enterprise use. CBRS can also support uses beyond a private network, such as neutral-host coverage for carrier subscribers.