November 12, 2025
Private cellular networks are rapidly transforming the way organizations connect, operate, and innovate. As Communications Daily recently reported, demand for private networks is surging worldwide across manufacturing, transportation, education, and logistics – and in the United States, the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) is the “driving catalyst” behind this growth.
From airports to factories, organizations are embracing private cellular networks for greater security, performance, and flexibility – advantages that traditional Wi-Fi and public carrier networks can’t always deliver. The Communications Daily article highlights that private 5G deployments now number over 1,800 globally – and that number continues to climb. By leveraging shared spectrum, particularly in the CBRS band, American enterprises are building custom networks that meet their unique operational needs and scale with their ambitions.
CBRS: A Successful Model of Spectrum Innovation
Since its approval by the FCC in 2020, CBRS has enhanced access to spectrum, allowing businesses, schools, and local governments to deploy private 4G and 5G networks without relying on traditional carriers or paying billions for exclusive licenses. As Communications Daily notes, CBRS enables “reliable, interference-free operation” and “cellular capabilities without the cost of traditional licensed spectrum.”
That’s the power of dynamic spectrum sharing – the foundation of CBRS and a cornerstone of America’s spectrum innovation model. By allowing different users to share spectrum efficiently and securely, CBRS unlocks opportunities for competition and connectivity that simply didn’t exist before.
CBRS in Action: From Factories to Classrooms
Across the country, CBRS is already fueling real-world results. At John Deere’s smart factories in Illinois and Iowa, private, CBRS-powered 5G networks connect robotics, autonomous vehicles, and digital tools that boost precision manufacturing. In the education sector, CBRS-powered networks are helping school districts expand connectivity and close the digital divide for students and teachers from rural campuses to major universities.
These deployments echo the same benefits highlighted in Communications Daily: enhanced mobility, reduced interference, and simplified control. As Miami International Airport’s innovation director put it, private networks are “like a Swiss Army knife” – versatile, efficient, and essential for modern operations.
The Bottom Line
Private networks are not just a trend – they’re the future of wireless innovation. And CBRS is the engine making that future possible. By giving organizations autonomy, flexibility, and affordability, CBRS continues to extend connectivity to more industries and communities, strengthen U.S. competitiveness, and deliver on the promise of shared spectrum.
As the FCC considers potential technical changes to the 3.5 GHz band, policymakers should proceed with caution. Proposals to raise power levels or alter the CBRS framework could undermine the shared-spectrum model that has driven American wireless innovation. Instead, the FCC should protect what works: keeping CBRS a reliable, accessible engine for private networks and U.S. wireless leadership.