The CBRS Alliance finalized and published its Network and Coexistence Baseline Specifications. The organization includes more than 75 members and counts towercos, mobile network operators, manufacturers and software providers among its members. The alliance is focused on supporting the development, commercialization, and adoption of LTE solutions for the U.S. 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). The group calls the move a milestone and made both sets of specifications publicly available for download on its website.
The specs will enable the deployment and coexistence of LTE private networks, LTE neutral host networks, or a hybrid (private and neutral hosted network) in the 3.5 GHz band, using standard 3GPP LTE technology, the alliance said in its announcement. “The networking and coexistence specifications are the critical foundation the industry needs to ensure seamless interoperability between CBRS Alliance-certified Citizens Broadband Radio Service Devices (CBSDs) when operating,” in the band, said CBRS Alliance President Dave Wright, who’s also director, regulatory affairs and network standards at Ruckus Networks.
The technical specifications for coexistence align with WInnForum baseline specifications. This alignment ensures CBSDs will be compatible and coexist; it also guarantees adherence to FCC Part 96 requirements.
“These are key specifications to enable commercial deployment of LTE systems in the CBRS Band,” said CBRS Alliance Technical Working Group Chair Al Jette, who’s also head of North American Standards at Nokia. “The coexistence specification ensures LTE systems in adjacent channels within the band can operate without the need for guard bands, making use of the spectrum more efficient.”
The U.S. Navy uses 150 MHz of 3.5 GHz shared spectrum on the CBRS band for radar communications. The Commission wanted to open up the band to wireless small cells, among other uses. It auctioned over 44,000 licenses in the CBRS and allowed commercial licensed and unlicensed sharing in 2016.
A three-tier system enables incumbents and new entrants to share spectrum. First-tier, incumbent users are fully protected. Second-tier users, or priority access licenses, receive priority over third-tier users, or generally authorized access. Frequency use will be coordinated by a Spectrum Access System (SAS), which will manage spectrum access by all users and the Environmental Sensing Capability, or ESC system, which will detect when federal users are transmitting on the spectrum, Inside Towers reported.
The agency has a pending proceeding with new rules to govern the band and hopes to finalize those by this summer.
April 23, 2018
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