UScellular is already working on preparing sites for the addition of C-band spectrum with the intention of being ready to turn the system on when it gets the go ahead from the satellite companies, said UScellular President and CEO Laurent Therivel during the carrier’s Q3 earnings call on Friday.
“We plan to launch this product on mid-band spectrum in late 2023 or early 2024, whenever that spectrum is cleared by the incumbent satellite providers,” Therivel said.
UScellular has started the C-band work this year, creating deployment designs, identifying power needs at the sites, and issuing purchase orders so it can start deployment, according to Therivel. “Once that spectrum clears, we want to be able to flip a switch and have meaningful mid-band spectrum availability across a large part of our footprint.”
C-Band Will Bolster FWA Growth
The C-band will be used for UScellular’s fixed wireless access service, which saw an increase in adds of up to 36 percent year over year during the quarter. Upwards of 57,000 customers now have the product. Spurring this growth, the carrier now offers unlimited fixed wireless across its entire footprint.
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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