Verizon wireless recently said it was working with several suppliers, including Ericsson, Qualcomm Technologies and Federated Wireless, on CBRS trials on a live network in Florida.
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While that was a landmark moment of sorts in the CBRS world, cable operators are also moving ahead with their own battery of tests.
● Charter has CBRS tests well underway, and recently invited FCC chairman Ajit Pai to get an in-person look at trial sites in the Tampa area, where it is running tests on about 200 small cell sites using the 3.5 GHz band. Charter is testing a variety of environments around the country, trying out fixed wireless in some and mobility applications in others (including Tampa).
● In April, Altice USA issued a call to arms to vendors for CBRS small cell products and a plan for a multi-phase trial. For the trials, Altice expects the first phase to focus on the verification of its RF propagation modelling in the field, with future field trials to test LTE-based services. Under the latest plan, Altice was expected to complete its vendor selections for the trial by mid-May, with Phase I getting underway in June and Phase II by early August.
● Earlier this year, Comcast sought permission from the FCC to conduct tests in Philadelphia using the CBRS band and via an experimental, one-year license. The aim is to evaluate aspects such as coverage, throughput and mobility equipment, as well as facilities that are operating in the band.
