The Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) is a great American innovation, revolutionizing wireless connectivity to enable dynamic spectrum sharing that uses spectrum efficiently, boosts network capacity, lowers costs, and enhances service quality across the nation. In just four years, CBRS has catalyzed billions of dollars in investment, created thousands of American jobs, and empowered over 1,000 users to deploy around 420,000 broadband access points in all 50 states. By enabling 5G network capacity and fostering competition, CBRS has connected rural communities, advanced precision agriculture, and fueled cutting-edge manufacturing, transforming diverse sectors and anchor institutions from farms to universities. This uniquely American framework not only drives economic growth but also exemplifies innovation built to meet the country’s evolving needs, underscoring the importance of this critical component of U.S. wireless infrastructure.
The recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act directs the FCC to auction off more spectrum for commercial use. Policymakers cannot allow the CBRS band to be targeted for change or to be reauctioned. Failure to protect CBRS would be unprecedented: shutting down competition, jeopardizing U.S. job creation, destroying billions of dollars in innovation and investments by American companies, and tethering every spectrum license and every future auction to an anchor of uncertainty.
What does CBRS in action look like?
Right now, CBRS is powering John Deere plants in Illinois and Iowa, an Ericsson 5G Smart Factory in Texas, the Sound Hotel in Seattle, Washington, 30 NFL stadiums, and the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Georgia, just to name a few. CBRS supports the innovative spirit of America and advances the public good in our everyday lives.
5G Smart Factory
At Ericsson’s USA 5G Smart Factory in Lewisville, Texas, they’re leveraging Dynamic Spectrum Sharing to enable cutting-edge manufacturing of 5G and Advanced Antenna System (AAS) radios.
U.S. Armed Forces
At the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Georgia, CBRS enables real-time control of robotics, helps personnel manage critical assets and inventory, and enables authorities to utilize smart security cameras to authenticate personnel and track vehicle arrivals and departures.
Manufacturing
John Deere has deployed CBRS-powered private networks in multiple factories across Illinois and Iowa to connect digital devices to manufacturing operations, use video analytics to improve quality checks, and operate autonomous vehicles and robots.
Experts agree – CBRS is crucial to maintaining our competitive advantage and protecting national security interests.
Stakeholders from the public and private sectors have come out in droves to express their support for CBRS. Tech analyst Dean Bubley, founder and director of Disruptive Analysis, has written several pieces on the role CBRS plays in manufacturing, artificial intelligence, the military, and education. He has also warned against leaving CBRS unprotected and urged policymakers not only to protect this critical band but also to work to extend and evolve it for more effective use in the future.
National security experts have also spoken on the importance of CBRS to protecting America’s security interests and making sure we don’t fall behind global competitors, such as China and Russia.
Numbers don’t lie. The CBRS ecosystem is growing every day.
Companies of all shapes and sizes are using CBRS networks to support their operations and connect with their customers and vendors. According to research from the OnGo Alliance, 20% of U.S. wireless indoor and outdoor site deployments are now using CBRS shared spectrum, which has increased from under 5% in 2020.
“If you were to take the number of subscribers and connections and things connected, CBRS would be the fourth largest carrier in the country,” said Kurt Jacobs, vice president of the OnGo Alliance, to Fierce Network.
It’s not just businesses. The U.S. government and municipalities across the country also rely on CBRS for stronger connectivity and more resilient networks to meet the growing needs of their users.
Credit: This map was provided by OnGo Alliance.
Companies are continuing to invest in CBRS because they know that it’s the band of the future. To date, over $14 billion has been spent on CBRS and related sharing infrastructure, and the equipment market continues to grow.
The Bottom Line
We haven’t even scratched the surface of what we can do with CBRS. Policymakers must understand the role this band plays in American innovation and national security. Policymakers should not target the CBRS band for new auctions or significant technical changes.
CBRS is a powerful tool that we should be utilizing to its full potential. Without it, America risks falling behind in the global race for connectivity and economic dominance.