Fortress Solutions Soars into CBRS Technology
Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) is not only creating new technology possibilities but expanding the wireless community. In essence, it is changing what’s possible.
CBRS was established by the Federal Communications Commission as a way for shared wireless broadband use of 3550-3700 MHz band (more commonly known as the 3.5 GHz band). What was previously reserved for government use, now allows property managers to deploy their own private LTE networks with a combination of unlicensed, shared and licensed spectrum. This allows property managers to give tenants or customers LTE coverage for their devices without paying traditional carriers to do so.
According to Crown Castle,
“Until recently, enterprises and other large-scale organizations that want to expand wireless coverage in or around their facilities had to rely on either wi-fi or 4G. By nature, the 4G networks from wireless service providers are not customizable and aren’t always ideal for handling large amounts of data easily or cost effectively. While wi-fi solves some of those issues, security, interference and mobility support are consistent concerns. A neutral host approach to deploying custom wireless networks over Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum could provide a solution to many of these challenges”.
Solutions that utilize CBRS radio spectrum allow organizations to set up their own, private LTE – and coming soon, 5G-NR networks. This technology is known as the “innovation band” and offers numerous benefits. These include:
- IMPROVED PERFORMANCE | Greater speed and capacity
A dedicated, private wireless network provides greater speeds and allows for significantly more devices. It can be set up for indoor or outdoor use—complementing wi-fi and small cell coverage.
- INCREASED SECURITY | A private network for better protection
Users can decide which devices have access to the network - keeping data protected and resistant to external attacks.
- MORE FLEXIBILTY | Tailored networks to meet specific needs
CBRS spectrum is open for any organization to use, allowing them to create the specific kind of network they require. Need prioritization is available. Whether latency, speed, capacity, or reliability is most important, doing more is available.
- MAXIMUM SCALABILITY | Build to size needs
When implemented as part of a neutral host solution, CBRS is flexible enough to support multiple wireless carriers as well as dedicated private networks. This allows for scalable networks.
- EXPAND ACCESS | Opportunity for all
Due to the unique nature of CBRS spectrum, capital investment and organization size no longer dictate who can set up a private, custom wireless network.
Who is using CBRS technology? It is an ideal solution for various types of companies and organizations including but not limited to: commercial real estate, venues, education, healthcare, retail, wisps, utilities, and manufacturing.
Fortress can now be included in the list above!
Our Plano, TX Research & Development team has both BLiNQ and Airspan Citizen Band Radio Service Devices (CBSDs) in lab and connected to our internal network. We’ve also installed the first CBSDs on our rooftop for wireless network testing to our new facility. Several different Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) and User Equipment (UE) devices are also under test. Evaluations of embedded, server based, and cloud based Evolved Packet Core (EPC) solutions are also underway.
