Community CBRS Networks - What You Need to Know

In the wake of the pandemic, the federal government is directing billions of dollars to state and local governments in an effort to connect all residents to fast, affordable, reliable Internet service. The funding is a welcome investment as communities work to connect the unconnected. However, it also means community leaders need to move quickly to evaluate technologies and broadband deployment strategies. Citizen Broadband and Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum represents a novel solution to support such broadband initiatives but, due to its recent use, it comes with a number of unknowns that need to be considered and experimentally evaluated. In this paper, we propose an overview on the CBRS technology with a particular focus on lessons learned from existing deployments in the US. In particular, two use cases-in Buffalo, NY and Cleveland, OH-are presented to focus on two important lessons learned regarding the importance of i) thoroughly characterizing the propagation in the area of interest and ii) involving experts in different areas of specialty, such as structural/RF engineering or property management.