@Eric Ozrelic wrote:
The heartbeat is every 4 minutes.
Technically, the radio will not stop transmitting until it fails to receive the heartbeat response (or receives a "failed response") after 5 minutes (300 seconds).
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@nicksmpls wrote:
I read the release materials on the Beta software and CBRS in the cnMaestro cloud version. I didn't see any caveats or mention of the Part 96 band being now open for deployment of commercial services. So, if we choose, we can now put AP and SM into the new band via our SAS by using Beta software at this point?
For some reason, maybe I was mistaken, but I was anticipating some type of official statement or press release from the FCC that CBRS was now approved for GAA use under Part 96 rules and that Part 90 Subpart Z was officially defunct.
After the ICD period closed in December, the FCC allows the band to operate. There is expected to be an announcement shortly for Full Commercial Service (FCS).
Part 90 does not become "defunct" and will continue to be allowed until the license for operation under that rule part expires. Most of these NN licenses expire on April 17, 2020, but not all of them. There are some folks that have licenses that extend beyond this date.
Thank you for the clarification on operations now and the information on the Part 90 Licenses.
I understand that some operators are attempting to have the April date pushed out.
@nicksmpls wrote:Thank you for the clarification on operations now and the information on the Part 90 Licenses.
I understand that some operators are attempting to have the April date pushed out.
WISPA was trying to get the FCC to push this out, but the FCC denied the request and said that operators that want an extension should contact the FCC directly to apply for one. At least that's what I heard in the rumor mill...
WISPA (The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association) is a great organization for those looking to utilize this spectrum (or any other fixed wireless network stuff for that matter). They, in collaboration with UTC, filed a petition for a blanket waiver of the Part 90 license expirations. As Eric mentions, the FCC has stated they will not approve this blanket waiver.
The advice from WISPA, therefore, is if you believe you need more time to transition to Part 96, each WISP will need to file individual waiver requests. The WISPA Policy advisor issued some really great advice on how to go about this. His main points were to ensure that the request is fact-specific to your organization and that it's highly recommended that you seek the advice of "competent legal counsel" if you choose to go this route.
We at Cambium are doing our best to make sure things are ready to go as fast as we can, but understand that not every operator will have everything in place to make the transition as early as the April 17, 2020 deadline (which is the expiration date of the majority of the existing NN Licenses).
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You can check the expiration date of your license in the FCC ULS database, by searching here:
(It's easiest to search if you choose "NN - 3650-3700 MHz" from the drop down, and/or know your Call Sign).
We use the on-premise version of cnMaestro, including the API for integration with our business support system (BSS).
If we establish an account with a SAS using the cloud version pending the release of the on-premise version, will that (1) cause any complications with the SAS when we bring up the on-premise version? (2) handling the charging mechanism for the SAS payments with Cambium?
Please advise. We have a lot of demand for rolling out CBRS in areas where the Part 90 band is
almost useless due to legacy providers.
To answer your questions:
1) You can certainly bring up a cloud version and start using it to become familiar with how CBRS works with the system. This is highly recommended. These devices can be migrated to the on-premises version once that is released (which should be within 2 weeks or so).
2) The billing module will work with both the cloud version and on-premisies version of cnMaestro, so it shouldn't be an issue at all. Cambium has not yet started charging for SAS services. There will be announcements when that will start.
By the way, it's official now, CBRS is fully open for business... the FCC announced this yesterday.
There are now 4 approved SAS vendors: Federated Wireless, Google, CommScope and Sony.
You can see additional details in the FCC Filing here.
If we use Google as a SAS provider, do we pay them per subscriber link as well as Cambium? Or as long as the SM is in Maestro, we pay $3 to Cambium and owe nothing to Google?
Great question, and sorry this is not more clearly stated...
With Cambium equipment, you choose the SAS provider that you'd like to work with, but we manage the relationship with that SAS Administrator. Therefore, the billing is direct to you (the end customer), but we turn around and pay the SAS.
Therefore, your example is correct. If you have a Cambium subscriber, you will pay Cambium $3 per month to operate that subscriber in CBRS, whether you choose to utilize Google or Federated Wireless as your SAS Administrator. There are no other charges.
(Note also that there is no option to have a direct relationship with the SAS while using Cambium radios. These radios communicate exclusively via cnMaestro and our Domain Proxy to maintain communication with the SAS.)
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Quick Update: We've just posted the On-Premises Beta for cnMaestro here.
Release 2.3.2 includes CBRS functionality.
Can Cambium release on-premise Beta version in the AWS / AMI format?
Any idea when the cnMaestro on premises non-beta will be out? What about 16.2 stable?
We use cnMaestro on premises. If we start doing CBRS with on premises will there be serious pain to move too cloud version later?
I have been wondering the same thing.
They don't seem to be adding any new cambium cloud beta's accounts either so they really are cutting this down to the wire with the end of part 90 in just over a month.
We are doing our best to get things ready and completed as fast as possible.
We are indeed adding additional beta customers as requests come in. Please go ahead and sign up following the process here: https://www.cambiumnetworks.com/deploying-cbrs-wireless-broadband/
In terms of migrating from cloud to NOC or vice versa, it would not be a seamless process. I would encourage you to think about which version you'd like to use, and choose that version up front. If you're planning on using the NOC version, go ahead and sign up, installing the Beta version of NOC cnMaestro. Migrate a site or two (not your whole network yet). Get familiar with the process, etc.
Then, when CBRS becomes official (next week, hopefully), we can help upgrade your production server to the official version, and migrate those devices back to the single instance of cnMaestro. Alternatively, if you wait until the production servers are released (whether cloud or NOC), then you can migrate your entire network to this new server, and proceed.
Look for additional announcements on this topic very soon.
From this point on, PLEASE include information on the the Amazon Marketplace AMI version in your updates.
This is getting traction as a way to obtain the benefits of cloud services while retaining the versatility of hosting the servers directly.
- Release of CBRS - enabled BETA in the AWS / AMI format.
- Prompt (ideally simultaneous) release of the AWS / AMI version of any on-premise release.
When version 2.4 is released (which is the CBRS capable version), it will be released as an OVA on our support site here. In addition, this version will be made available in AWS Marketplace here.
Thanks for pointing out this option too!
Thank you very much for the added clarification! We look forward to getting the production application installed and migrating our existing data over to it.
With the cnMaestro update the old template is no longer supported and the new one is not supported by the current version of Excel on OS X (16.35) outside of read-only mode. I have even tried opening the sheet in Office365 online as well as Google Sheets. There are unsupported features in the current template. Aside from using Excel on a Windows machine what is the workaround for this?