Altice, Comcast, Charter all interested in CBRS
In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is poised to open up the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band under a shared access model that prioritizes users based on a three-tier licensure scheme. One of the goals here is to allow new market entrants to use prime mobile spectrum to launch new consumer services and, based on ongoing trial activity, cable companies are eager to see what CBRS could bring to their businesses.
Altice USA, for instance, has asked the FCC for special temporary authority to conduct CBRS trials beginning Sept. 1 in Jonesboro, Arkansas. According to the filing, Altice will test equipment from vendors Ericsson, Nokia, Airspan Networks and Ruckus. Indoor and outdoor tests “will evaluate propagation, capacity and mobility characteristics,” the STA application states.
Altice is planning to use Sprint’s spectrum to launch a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) play to enter the mobility market. This expansion from cable players into wireless is an increasing trend, as is interest in CBRS.
Charter Communications on June 30 launched its Spectrum Mobile MVNO offering, which uses Verizon’s spectrum. Comcast, also through a spectrum arrangement with Verizon, operates an MVNO called Xfinity Mobile.
Charter has been testing LTE small cells at various locations, including Los Angeles and New York City. According to SVP of Wireless Technology Craig Cowden, Charter is also testing CBRS for delivering fixed wireless services in locations near Lexington, Kentucky; Bakersfield, California; Tampa, Florida; Denver, Colorado and Coldwater, Michigan. “We believe this lower-frequency spectrum could be used to extend the reach of our network and provide cost-effective, wireline-like connectivity to less densely populated areas,” the executive said.
He also said that Charter plans to continue its investigation of fixed wireless solutions using 3.5 GHz to expand rural broadband. Discussing the 3.5GHz band, Cowden said that it offers great potential for unlicensed use or General Authorized Access. “We have encouraged the FCC to make the unlicensed part of the band available quickly and to adopt licensing rules that preserve an innovative approach to spectrum sharing in the band. This will encourage efficient use of that spectrum, lower barriers to entry for new competitors, and promote rural broadband deployment.”
Last year Nokia asked the FCC for permission to demonstrate CBRS equipment in Philadelphia with a customer widely thought to be Comcast. Then, earlier this year, Comcast asked the FCC for authority to use commercial handsets and pre-commercial equipment to test coverage, through and mobility.
