Independent Technical Analysis by Valo Analytica
Raising CBRS Power Limits Would Have Catastrophic Impacts
The FCC is considering changes to power limits in the CBRS band — known as the “Innovation Band” — that would affect more than 1,000 operators and 430,000 base stations across the American economy. A new independent analysis by Valo Analytica shows what is actually at stake if power levels were increased.
The finding is simple: even limited adoption of higher-power operations would have irreversible system-wide impacts—upending spectrum access for users across the band.
Three Case Studies. Three Warnings.
Case Study #1:
John Deere
Interference from a nearby high-power device would disrupt robotics and real-time automation and render John Deere’s factory facility unusable, as well as slash the coverage range of its Illinois office deployment to only 4–10 meters — roughly the reach of a set of wireless earbuds.
Case Study #2:
Miami Int’l Airport
A single higher-power deployment would instantly cut one-third of Miami International Airport’s network capacity — with no regulatory remedy — jeopardizing security, runway safety monitoring, and public safety communications.
Case Study #3:
Amplex (Rural Ohio)
Damage from high-power operations is not hypothetical. Today, cross-border high-power operations from Canada are already disrupting internet services for broadband provider Amplex’s customers in certain areas of its network. Allowing CBRS high-power operations throughout the U.S. would only compound the problem for Amplex and jeopardize network reliability for all CBRS users.
The Numbers
If fewer than 2% of CBRS transmitters are converted to high-power, there would be a loss of over 65,000 channels and a massive loss of data throughput across the CBRS ecosystem – data loss that would slow network operation to a crawl.
Key Takeaway: The FCC should preserve the current CBRS power framework and protect the investments, innovation, and communities that depend on it.