DISH Wireless, Internet2 and Cisco will be piloting a neutral host network (NHN) at Duke University using CBRS shared spectrum in the 3.5-3.7 GHz band. The private mobile network will serve mobile subscribers, including on-campus students and faculty, via a radio access network (RAN)-sharing agreement between mobile operators and universities.
“The recent availability of CBRS, together with our collaboration with Internet2, DISH Wireless and Cisco, makes this vision a reality by delivering a private Duke wireless network over the carrier-grade cellular infrastructure that stretches throughout our campus,” said Tracy Futhey, vice president and chief information officer, Duke University.
The NHN will integrate Duke University’s private network, which uses Cisco’s Private 5G as a service platform and Internet2’s upgraded fifth-generation national research and education network, with DISH Wireless’ 5G network. For higher education institutions, the many applications include things like smart campuses to IoT sensor networks, extended coverage for campus WiFi, fixed wireless services and support for research testbeds.
“Every college and university has experienced dramatic increases in wireless needs from our mobile-first communities. Rather than providing two separate infrastructures throughout our campuses — cellular and WiFi — the holy grail has always been for a single, common network delivering both cellular and high-speed private WiFi,” said Futhey.
To be implemented on the campus, the feasibility of the scalable, multi-tenant, architecture must be validated. The trial will launch in summer 2022.
“It can be difficult for today’s current wireless networks to provide consistently reliable connectivity and coverage across an entire university campus,” said Stephen Bye, chief commercial officer, DISH Wireless. “Our objective is to enhance connectivity across the campus with this groundbreaking collaboration with our partners.”
This collaboration emerged from a Future Wireless Working Group established by Internet2 in March 2020. The FWWG convened multiple university chief information officers and technology companies to evaluate and implement emerging wireless technologies, such as 5G, in higher education.
Howard Pfeffer, president and CEO, Internet2, said, “Our operational capabilities for services, such as WiFi roaming and our 5G national research and education network, combined with our role as a convener allows Internet2 to bring together and enable unique collaborations between universities and leading industry providers.”
Internet2 is a community of more than 2,000 organizations that provide cloud solutions, research support, and services tailored for higher education, research institutions, government entities and cultural organizations. The Internet2 Network is designed for the requirements of data-intensive research and the advanced campus and cloud computing needs of the research and education community.
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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