NTIA Gets Mixed Comments on CBRS Report

NTIA heard a variety of comments, positive and negative, on the viability of the citizens broadband radio service as a model for future spectrum sharing. Comments, posted by the agency Tuesday, were due May 31 on an NTIA report on dynamic sharing and the three-tier sharing model offered by CBRS (see 2305010063). The report was by the agency’s Colorado lab, the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS).

In comments made available in early June, CTIA argued “the preemptible, low-power CBRS framework has resulted in under-utilization of this valuable spectrum,” while WifiForward largely supported NTIA’s findings (see 2306010045). The Wireless ISP Association also supported the conclusions (see 2305310062).

“Carefully reflect on the challenges of the CBRS framework,” Ericsson advised. Wide-area, full-power, licensed spectrum, “or where necessary, pre-defined sharing (e.g., geographic or time-driven protection zones) should remain the goal for commercial spectrum bands,” Ericsson said.

Ericsson noted it's a leading maker of CBRS radios and other gear. “While aspects of the experiment show that dynamic sharing can work from a technical perspective, CBRS implementation also demonstrates the pitfalls of a complex dynamic sharing system that, for instance, imposes burdensome transactional costs as participants operate on CBRS frequencies, provides best-effort access to spectrum, and limits the power levels possible in comparison with commercial equipment -- all resulting in constrained commercial utility,” the company said.

“While it’s understandable that ITS is very pleased with CBRS uptake, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that CBRS is very much in a preliminary, experimental phase where success is easy to achieve,” the High Tech Forum said: “In reality we still have no idea whether CBRS is a long-term solution or simply a stopgap for working around obsolete government systems.”

Other comments supported NTIA’s findings.

The NTIA report “demonstrates that commercial wireless broadband users are making robust use of the CBRS band and spectrum sharing in the band has been successfully enabled,” said NCTA. It said its members are using the band “to deploy next-generation wireless networks, bring new competition to a heavily concentrated wireless marketplace, and extend the reach of their high-speed broadband networks.” Three members, Charter, Comcast and Cox, were among the top five winning bidders in the FCC’s auction of priority access licenses, the group said. They and other NCTA members “are using their PAL licenses to help meet the growing demand for wireless connectivity.”

CBRS can be "the foundation for additional coexistence opportunities between commercial wireless broadband services and Federal incumbents,” NCTA said: “With almost no greenfield spectrum remaining, it is critical that federal lawmakers and agencies leverage shared-licensed frameworks to meet the long-term needs of federal and non-federal users alike.”

Utilities were among top bidders in the PAL auction and “are pursuing using the spectrum to support a variety of utility applications, such as supervisory control and data acquisition systems, distribution automation, advanced metering infrastructure and distributed energy resources,” the Utilities Technology Council said.

The NTIA report “reveals a tale of two sides of CBRS,” UTC said: “It demonstrates that utilities and other smaller entities are putting the CBRS spectrum to effective use where they were able to acquire licenses, which tended to be mainly in rural areas. On the other hand, it reflects the reality that the major communications service providers who tended to acquire CBRS PALs in urban and suburban areas have reportedly refrained” from deployment. UTC urged the FCC to increase the permissible power levels of CBRS devices “to permit greater coverage, particularly in rural and remote areas where terrain, foliage and other factors reduce coverage and where there is lower potential for interference to federal incumbent operations in general.”

CBRS has been “a shining example of the myriad benefits of automated spectrum sharing since its commercial launch three and a half years ago,” said the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance. The NTIA report shows use of the band is growing, the alliance said. “In addition to densification of the nationwide public mobile networks, and use of these frequencies by rural wireless Internet service providers, a wide variety of private networks are also using the CBRS band,” DSA said: “From business to leisure, hundreds of smart manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, logistics, education, transportation, energy management, entertainment, hospitality, and retail private networks have been deployed using the CBRS band as the result of having access to spectrum without the need for an individual license.”

“Anchor-enabled broadband networks provide unique connectivity solutions that can reach communities lacking access to broadband the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and the Consortium for School Networking said: “They also allow a community the autonomy to build and operate its own broadband system to meet the needs of its local customers, often promoting and stimulating needed competition in the marketplace by establishing an affordable internet service offering.”