CBRS 1.0 - Official Release of CBRS from Cambium Networks

Technology CBRS
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Today, Cambium Networks is pleased to announce the official release of CBRS 1.0!

Spectrum in this band is dynamically shared in a tiered structure that requires a real-time interface to a Spectrum Access System (SAS). Cambium Networks equipment helps the end user manage the relationship with the SAS by facilitating the communication path from the radios via cnMaestro and the Domain Proxy. This service is available for US customers only.

There are several SAS System Administrators that are in operation today. As of today’s launch, Cambium Networks’ CBRS offering work with two of these: Federated Wireless and Google. CommScope will be added at a later date.* The operator will select a SAS System Administrator at the time of sign up via cnMaestro. The pricing to use these SAS Services is the same regardless of the provider. Pricing is $3 per Subscriber Module per month. There is no charge for Access Points.  

CBRS 1.0 is delivered via PMP 450 System Software Release 16.2 and either cnMaestro On-Premises version 2.3.2 or a cnMaestro Cloud server that is running version 2.4.0. Both components are require to operate the CBRS service. There are other requirements to use the service such as Certified Professional Installation (CPI) certification.**

For customers who have been part of the beta program, the cloud beta server has been upgraded to 2.4.0 and is now considered a production server. The beta program has now ended. Many beta customers, both Cloud and On-Premises, will want to consolidate their production and beta accounts. Guidance for doing that will be linked here.  New CBRS Cloud users can begin the enrollment process by clicking on the “CBRS New” link at the top of the cnMaestro home page. New CBRS On-Premises users can begin the enrollment process by installing 2.3.2 and creating a cnMaestro cloud account (which is necessary to obtain a token, even when using cnMaestro On-Premises).

Billing for this service begins on April 1 with the first payment due in early May. Any Subscriber Module that is registered with a SAS for 48 hours or more during a billing month will be charged $3. A new CBRS account page is now accessed from the left-hand menu by clicking on Services > CBRS. Basic account information including payment method is entered on this page. Cambium accepts major credit card and ACH funds transfer only. The full Terms and Conditions must be acknowledged upon signup within cnMaestro.

The Standalone CBRS Procedures Guide is a helpful way to get started with CBRS.  It is available for download now.

For customers who are either not interested in using CBRS or who are non-US customers, are still encouraged to upgrade to PMP 450 version 16.2.  If not using the CBRS functions, there is no reason to update cnMaestro On-Premises to 2.3.2.  Further, there is no action required for cnMaestro Cloud customers that are not using CBRS.

Tomorrow morning at 8:30am CDT, we will be hosting a webinar: CBRS: Service Activation and Onboarding (click to register) to show the steps involved in getting Cambium equipment going in CBRS. Please register and attend. We will also post the recording and answer further questions here in the community.

*Cambium Networks reserves the right to add or remove any SAS Administrator at their discretion. 

**CPI training is offered by all three of the SAS Administrators, and the certification is valid regardless of which SAS you choose to use.

Federated Wireless CPI Training

Google CPI Training

CommScope CPI Training

Feel free to post additional questions below.

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Thanks to the entire Cambium team for the enormous multi-year project that you have undertaken and came out with a great product offering.   Our first results in a production network have shown CBRS is both practical and effective. 


That said, we are disappointed in the domain proxy architecture for V1.  A cnMaestro on-premise user is required to have a cnMaestro cloud account to obtain the token needed to access the SAS.   The cloud account is also where the payment method is created and managed.  For an on-premise user such as ourselves who have set up independent PMP 450 networks in a managed service provider (MSP) configuration, it appears that all CBRS functions in the on-premise version are consolidated at the global level and not at the MSP level.   Additionally, the charging mechanism consolidates all CBRS fees for all MSP use of CBRS into a single lump sum.  (We have not heard mention of any tracking or breakout of the CBRS charges, at least at this point.)  

If we are incorrect in this, I'd welcome a correction or clarification.  


If it is what it is,  then any comment on when / if we will see CBRS functions contained entirely in the on-premise version and extend CBRS functions to the MSP level?  Thanks. 

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Thanks for the feedback. We need to walk before we run here, and getting to this point has been the paramount concern (in light of the looming transition deadlines). The Domain Proxy module will remain in the cloud (mainly due to the assurance and reliability of the distributed cloud services vs on-premises hardware), but we will certainly be considering how to implement the MSP model for multi-tennant billing or access for CBRS Services in the near future. Hopefully, this would address your concern. I don't have a timeline for this implementation, but we are absolutely evaluating this for future improvements.

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Thanks for that.   As software developers ourselves, we appreciate the complexity of what has been achieved.   We hold by the principal that "Every successful complex software system started life as a successful simple software system."  Our MSP clients are semi-autonomous and have been getting trained as CPIs in the expectation of managing their own CBRS functions.   We will have to reconsider how that can take place in this context.

You are absolutely correct in that a cloud implementation provides a greatly enhanced reliability and uptime which is harder and more expensive to do in-house.  cnMaestro has now tranistioned (in the PMP450 world from a monitor & manage tool to an in-line production application.  Big difference. One reason we asked about the release cycle for the AWS / AMI version of CBRS was because we are using the on-premise in Amazon.    (Everything else is in Microsoft Azure, but that's another topic entirely.)

For more details, reach out via private message.   

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Another question - -- Upon further investigation on installing V2.3.2,  we notice that there is no V2.3.2 RESTful API documentation, but there is of V2.3.0.

We'll assume V2.3.0 will work with V2.3.2 to the extent it calls the same thing and gets the same information.


What are the plans for a V2.3.2 API with provision to support CBRS information (such as what is being

displayed in the AP)? 

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