ESC Providers CommScope, Federated Wireless and Google Complete Critical Step in Path to OnGo Commercial Service
SUNNYVALE, Calif. – May 20, 2019 – The CBRS Alliance, an industry organization focused on driving the development, commercialization, and adoption of OnGo™ shared spectrum solutions, celebrates the wireless industry’s progress toward commercialization of the 3.5 GHz CBRS band. The FCC, in coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Defense (DoD), has approved the Environmental Sensing Capabilities (ESC) of three CBRS Alliance members: CommScope, Federated Wireless and Google.
The commercialization of the CBRS band is quickly approaching, and with the FCC’s completion of the ESC testing process, OnGo deployments are imminent. According to Joe Madden, Principal Analyst at Mobile Experts, the shared spectrum paradigm presented by CBRS has immense potential to unlock value for carriers, equipment manufacturers and end users alike thanks to new business models enabled by increased connectivity for in-building, public spaces and Industrial IoT applications.
Today, the 3.5 GHz CBRS band is used primarily by the DoD for shipborne radars, but at any given moment only a small fraction of available spectrum is being utilized. In order to ensure that DoD radar is protected from interference by other users in the band, ESC networks are being readied for deployment along coastal regions. When an ESC sensor detects a protected radar transmission, it informs a Spectrum Access System (SAS), which activates a protection zone and dynamically reassigns users in the area to other parts of the band. As commercial services over shared spectrum are poised for rollout, certified ESC operators will ensure that incumbent users of the band are protected while helping to maximize availability of CBRS spectrum across coastal areas.
“The certification of ESC operators represents a significant step toward making commercial OnGo services in the CBRS band a reality. We congratulate CommScope, Federated Wireless and Google on this monumental achievement,” said Alan Ewing, Executive Director of the CBRS Alliance. “The amount of collaboration that goes into such an industry-wide effort cannot be overstated – from equipment vendors and wireless carriers, to testing facilities and standards organizations, it’s been a coordinated mission of industry and government dedicated to innovation in the CBRS band that has allowed us to reach this point.”
NTIA also announced the completion of laboratory testing for five SAS administrators, the second key component of the shared spectrum model driving commercial services in the CBRS band. The SAS administrators are expected to receive final reports on SAS testing results from NTIA and will submit those reports to the FCC in May 2019. Initial commercial deployments should begin as early as Q2 2019, after FCC and DoD review of the test results.
For more information on the CBRS Alliance, and a full list of member companies, please visit www.cbrsalliance.org.
About OnGo™
OnGo™ is uncompromised connectivity. An innovative approach to maximizing mobile broadband, OnGo is a technology that puts the power of wireless networks into the hands of those that rely on them to empower and expand business opportunities. OnGo presents nearly limitless options for enhanced customizability and allows users to tailor networks to a specific set of needs, such as Private LTE, neutral host and Industrial IoT applications. OnGo Certified is a recognized seal of approval that indicates a product’s ability to meet a high set of quality, interoperability and security standards when tested by an independent, OnGo-Authorized test laboratory. Both the OnGo brand and the OnGo Certification Program are managed and maintained by the CBRS Alliance.
