Some 271 firms have been certified as eligible to bid in Auction 105, offering 22,631 Priority Access Licenses in the 3550-3650 MHz portion of the 3.5 GHz band. The bidding for mid-band spectrum is scheduled to begin on July 23, 2020.
The Citizens Broadband Radio Service features spectrum sharing, allowing new commercial users best effort or licensed access to spectrum that is licensed for use by government entities. When licensed users are not using the CBRS spectrum, others may use it on a best effort basis, without a license, or can apply for licensed access with guaranteed access instead. That is the purpose of Auction 105.
A recent test by RootMetrics found Verizon used unlicensed CBRS spectrum in 17 or 33 metro areas tested from the beginning of the year.
In advance of the auctions, Verizon has begun using unlicensed, best-effort CBRS spectrum to support its mobile network operations, RootMetrics data shows. Verizon is expected to bid for CBRS licenses. It might also continue to use unlicensed CBRS spectrum in areas where it does not win licenses, though.
Though other mobile operators also are expected to bid for CBRS licenses, virtually all seem poised to make use of unlicensed spectrum in a variety of ways, including spectrum aggregation that allows networks to use Wi-Fi or other unlicensed spectrum in tandem with licensed assets, to support 4G and 5G networks.
That does not mean an end to reliance on use of licensed spectrum, but is a significant change, as unlicensed spectrum now is viewed as a basic part of bandwidth strategy, including the more-established offload to Wi-Fi approach.
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