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Author Archives: Iyad Tarazi

 About Iyad Tarazi

Iyad Tarazi joined Federated Wireless from Sprint Corp., where he served as Vice President of Network Development and led the Network Vision network modernization project. Responsibilities included overseeing the development and integration of new products and technologies within Sprint’s networks and managing Sprint-Nextel’s technology integration labs.
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The Future of Connectivity: Innovation Through Private LTE

“CBRS is inevitable.  No longer if but when, and when is a matter of months now.”  This is one of my favorite quotes from the fireside chat I had with Vivint’s CTO Mike Hart at ConnectX last week (Mike is on the left above). Vivint is one of those emerging entrants in the wireless market who recognize the opportunity that access to 150 MHz of shared spectrum will offer.  Vivint is bullish on the market and engaged in commercial trials this summer.  I wanted to share in some of the great insights I learned from Mike when we had this chance to sit down together.

Iyad: Mike – please tell me a bit about your background in the industry and your position at Vivint.

Mike: Happy to Iyad. Vivint Smart Home is the #1 provider of Smart Home services in North America, with 1.3M customers, growing aggressively through our direct to home, inside sales and recently launched retail sales channels. Vivint Smart Home provides service through 98% of zip codes in US. Vivint launched a pilot ISP service in 2015 to four markets, (Salt Lake City and St. George, UT; El Paso, TX; and San Antonio, TX) providing service to in excess of 15,000 customers, with up to 100 Mbps speeds using a combination of 28GHz backhaul and 5.8GHz unlicensed access technology. Vivint Internet is preparing to relaunch its service later this year using a combination of high capacity mmWave technologies for backhaul and CBRS based LTE for access to provide up to gigabit speeds and reach even more customers.

Iyad: So, what makes Vivint unique?

Mike: The US market is ripe for disruption.  Most American households (50%) only have one choice for Broadband, and that is Broadband or no Broadband (not really a choice), even in major metropolitan areas. Significant barriers to entry that have caused many an “overbuilder” before us to fail. We have a different approach to deploying, where we are much less reliant on traditional infrastructure assets and we proved that model out with our 2015 pilot, building more than 3500 small cells across three markets in a matter of months to deliver broadband service to underserved neighborhoods.

Iyad: Tell me more about how CBRS factors into your plans.

Mike:  We found during our pilot that the pre-5G 28GHz and 802.11ac gear, typically used by many WISPs today, constrained our ability to disrupt the broadband market on a national scale for a number of reasons. We have since been working on incubating highly scalable, high capacity 5G mmWave technology to provide fiber-like capacity to our small cells that also enables us to provide fiber-like service to those on our “mesh”, as well as working with a number of small cell vendors to develop very compact CBRS equipment that will enable us to provide broadband speeds with high capacity, without the cost and deployment challenges associated with fiber. We see CBRS as ground breaking because it provides access to spectrum that enables us to deploy a fixed wireless ISP service (not unlicensed) without the need for massive upfront investment. This allows us to rapidly enter a market and compete, because we can acquire spectrum just-in-time when we need it, instead of purchasing in advance and warehousing it. We are not looking for free or discounted spectrum, we are willing to pay market prices, what we are looking for are ways to break down unnecessary barriers to competition by enabling entities like us to access spectrum, at fair market prices, when we need it. This enables our business to scale much more capitally efficiently than otherwise, so we can build out a network very rapidly and provide a cost-effective alternative to the “choice of 1”.

Iyad: Very impressive, and such a great example of the type of innovation we predicted would be a result of opening up spectrum for commercial sharing.  How would you rate supplier readiness for CBRS?

Mike: We are ready to go now – the only thing stopping us is the delay in unleashing the CBRS spectrum band. This is probably the first band ever where the technology, including the device side chipsets, is available before the regulator releases it!

Iyad: How would you suggest that the companies represented at this conference prepare for this coming disruption?

Mike: The first step is to engage in the efforts. Join the CBRS Alliance, participate in trials, get educated on the technology and regulatory process, and begin to train your teams.

Iyad: Sounds like there are potential for some companies to get left behind in this space, but also great potential for partnerships.  What do you see?

Mike: CBRS represents more business for everyone. You need to be ready to compete for a larger market against players who are not in your business today. For example: home automation providers like Vivint, cloud providers, enterprise equipment makers, manufacturers, energy and transportation industries, and IT department engineers will also be in this business. You need to establish new partnerships to reach new markets: there is an opportunity to create coalitions and partnerships to enable new innovative models. Engagement is the key.

Reflections on Attending the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018

Federated Wireless attended MWC 2018

As the wireless world gathers in Barcelona to showcase the latest in tech at Mobile World Congress, I can’t help but reflect on all the work that has been done to bring us to this moment. Major progress has been made throughout the ecosystem since last year’s show, getting us closer to the commercialization of shared spectrum in 2018. Over the past four years, we have implemented rigorous R&D and worked alongside regulators and partners to accomplish so much:

  • The vast majority of rules and standards are complete
  • Federated Wireless Spectrum Controller in beta for nearly two years
  • Over 20 OEM partners integrated with our platform
  • Over 40 demonstrations and trials now moving into several large field trials
  • Hundreds of CBSDs now active on our Spectrum Controller
  • Launch of our commercial-ready Spectrum Controller at MWC Americas
  • Field verification of our integrated commercial ESC sensors
  • And just last week, FCC conditional approval for Federated Wireless to operate an ESC network

The industry has been growing in its understanding of shared spectrum, taking deeper dives with dozens of trials that stand as proofs of concept for the CBRS vision. These trials allow for both product and process seasoning. During the first half of this year, we have been preparing for operational readiness through large trials in four key segments (MNOs, MSOs, MSPs, and WISPs) and in early February we launched our Partner Program, a reflection of everything we’ve learned from our customers and partners through the process.

As the CBRS ecosystem continues to mature, the conversation has shifted, even within the last year. The narrative has moved from the promise of tomorrow to the practical implementation of the shared spectrum today.

We are excited to participate in the shared spectrum discussion at this year’s Mobile World Congress. For those interested in our Partner Program and meeting with the Federated Wireless team, look for us at Hall 2 EMR A13/14. We will also have partner demos featuring the Federated Wireless Spectrum Controller at several exhibitor booths:

  • Ruckus, Hall 2 Stand 2G51
  • Coriant, Hall 2 Stand 2I30
  • Sercomm, Hall 2 Stand 2G3
  • Samsung, Hall 2 Stand 2M20
  • SpiderCloud, Hall 2.1 EMR 2.1C49
  • Juni, Hall 7 Stand 7F61

I expect to see a lot of continued hype around 5G and AI at the show this year. Come talk to us about a clear path to 5G with shared spectrum that is happening today.

CBRS Ecosystem Benefits From New Partner Program

As last year’s trials around shared spectrum become commercial reality this year, we are continuing to push the envelope on innovation for the best customer, user and vendor experience possible. We are not only at the forefront of creating the technology, but also at the forefront of assisting in its use, which is why we’re thrilled to announce our new Partner Program.

Having conducted a series of trials with wireless industry operators and OEMs, we quickly realized that there was a need for a common set of materials to improve time-to-market. As we move from the lab to deployment, we’re hearing from our customers that they are relying on us to ensure interoperability, and from our partners that they need help in scaling – from training to testing to keeping up with standards. With our Spectrum Controller at the fulcrum, we realized that we could bridge the gaps that are inevitable when a new ecosystem comes together so quickly. As a result, today we launched our Partner Program, the industry’s first resource for assisting OEMs with commercializing Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS)-enabled solutions.

The Federated Wireless Partner Program gives partners developing CBRS-based hardware (CBSDs) and software products the opportunity to standardize and automate their integration with the Federated Wireless Spectrum Controller. We will assist in the process of onboarding, testing and support to create a more flexible ecosystem that allows OEMs to accelerate their commercial deployments, and we are doing it on a scale to meet demands nationwide. Through the Program, our partners will have access to a new Partner Portal, for anytime, anywhere access to:

  • Training Modules
  • Test Scripts
  • User Guide
  • Feature Guide
  • New Software Releases
  • Release Notes
  • API Documentation
  • Updates on Standards
  • Emulator/Sandbox

We are excited at the opportunity of supporting the success of CBRS ecosystem growth through this Program but don’t take it from us. See what our partners have to say:

“Allowing operators of all sizes easier access to the CBRS band will benefit consumers, and Ericsson’s product portfolio for CBRS will enable all operators to take full advantage of this opportunity, spurring innovation in this new spectrum.” – Paul Challoner, Vice President of Network Product Solutions, Ericsson

“Federated Wireless has played a critical role in driving and enabling the ecosystem and our testing and customer trials with them have demonstrated the strong promise of CBRS.” – Imran Akbar, VP and GM from Samsung Electronics America. 

“Our collaboration with Federated Wireless has resulted in numerous CBRS customer engagements, enabling us to further validate the Ruckus CBRS ecosystem towards full market-launch readiness. We enthusiastically look forward to an ongoing collaboration with Federated Wireless.” – Joel Lindholm, Vice President, OpenG LTE Business and Product Management, Ruckus Networks, an ARRIS company

One of the main benefits of the Partner Program comes from the direct support offered by our Partner Relations team, resulting in greater efficiency and cost effectiveness. Support requests are submitted directly through the portal for ease of use to assist with any integration challenge. None of that would be possible without our experienced team, led by our company’s Vice President of Solutions Development and Operations, Emerino Marchetti. Emer has more than 20 years of experience honed at Sprint, Nextel and Alcatel Data Networks. We are excited to have him on board to help ensure the success of the program.

We are confident that by providing our partners with easy access to the resources they need, we will ultimately be contributing to the future success of CBRS through operational simplification. We truly believe that the future of wireless connectivity relies on shared spectrum, and CBRS is just the beginning. Our Partner Program is a first-of-its-kind in the industry and a logical next step in our push to unlock a spectrum of possibilities by providing resources that businesses across the ecosystem can use to move quickly to commercial deployment.

Interested in learning more about our Partner Program? Have questions about integrating with the Federated Wireless Spectrum Controller? Meet with Federated Wireless at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona February 26 through March 1, 2018.  To schedule a meeting, please contact us at [email protected].

A New Year, A New Spectrum Of Possibilities

It’s not just a New Year. It’s a new and undeniable opportunity for your company to unlock a spectrum of possibilities. We anticipate 2018 will be one of the most transformative years the wireless industry has ever seen. How so? All of the talk, all of the tests and all of the hard work our team, the CBRS Alliance and other industry leaders have put in over the years will become a very tangible thing this year. We’re bringing shared spectrum to life and to market!

Our intention within the space has always been to deploy a system that actively tracks and manages optimal use of the 3.5 GHz band, allowing for the coexistence between military and commercial users, thereby freeing up significant spectrum. Over the past four years, we have undergone rigorous research and development along with regulatory work to make this fully operational by mid-2018. To date, the following accomplishments have been made:
• Vast majority of rules and standards are complete
• Federated Wireless SAS in beta for about two years
• 20+ OEM partner integrations to SAS
• 30+ SAS demonstrations and technical trials (hundreds of active CBSDs)
• Launch of Spectrum Controller for field trials at MWC Americas
• Field verification of commercial ESC sensor platform (seven on air)

On top of that, I was also honored with Fierce Wireless’ Executive of the Year award at the end of last year for being on the front lines of the 3.5 GHz CBRS wave, acting as a proponent for the innovative spectrum-sharing scenario that could have dramatic ramifications for the global wireless industry. My work, along with my team, doesn’t stop there, though.

As we look to the New Year, there is still more to be done before the band is ready for optimal use. Currently, we are working on finalizing the licensing rules, which are expected to be complete within Q1. SAS & ESC certification, completion of ESC infrastructure and customer commercial launches are to follow.

To those who have been following shared spectrum’s progress over the years, this may sound very exciting. Just in case you’re new to the shared spectrum space or need a refresher, though, I’ve included some Q&As below from a panel session I participated in at Fierce Wireless’ Next Gen Wireless Networks Summit last year. These are some of the most frequently asked questions we get and should help clear things up a bit.

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Q: Explain spectrum-sharing and why it is considered so important.

In an effort to increase spectral efficiency and ensure that there is enough available spectrum to support the explosive growth of wireless data, the FCC has established the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) in the 3.5 GHz radio band for nationwide spectrum sharing.

The top value drivers for shared spectrum include:
• Access to abundant quantity of high quality spectrum
• Open ecosystem (both in terms of technology and use cases)
• 50-80% savings in cost of deployment vs. traditional Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS)
• Ease of deployment and integration of new applications

Q: What kind of business models and relationships might spectrum sharing help produce?

There are multiple business models developing/in discussion:
• Traditional operator models across both MNOs and MSOs
• Last mile broadband solutions with more capacity and speed
• Neutral host models that extend DAS solutions to more locations
• Managed services models that copy the direction that WiFi is taking
In the future, I expect new models to emerge including integration with Enterprise equipment offerings, cloud services, IoT applications and emerging automation/ML. These are typically referred to as Private LTE since they are self-contained and don’t require an operator to enable.

Q: What specific role will CBRS play beyond simply increased capacity? What kind of use cases will it support?

Several use cases are being tested now and will likely emerge:
• Network densification (mostly outdoor)
• Indoor systems similar to DAS deployments but with simpler architectures
• Last mile wireless for broadband access
• IoT applications that require a lot of capacity
• Expect neutral host, private LTE/IoT and offload models to evolve as well

Q: Can you briefly explain the three tiers for CBRS, and how (and when) we expect services to be deployed through those tiers?

Of course.

1. The first tier with highest priority is for incumbents, mostly Navy Radar systems
2. The second tier is Priority Access, a licensed set of channels with guaranteed performance
3. And the third tier is General Access, similar to unlicensed but with higher quality due to SAS coordination

Incumbents are using the spectrum now.

GAA, which is, at a minimum, half the spectrum of about 150 MHz, will be available around mid-2018.
PAL, which is about 70 MHz, will most likely be available in 2019 following an auction to be conducted by the FCC.

Q: What role will unlicensed spectrum play in CBRS deployments?

GAA is at least half the spectrum and will be available first at certification. It is similar to unlicensed but with coordination, which results in higher quality. Also, PAL rules allow for General Access to any spectrum that has not been deployed as PAL. I expect the majority of it to be used for Gigabit LTE.

Q: Do you expect CBRS to enable models such as neutral hosts and private networks? Can you give examples of those?

The answer is yes. There are a lot of use cases where existing Wi-Fi or in-building systems are not scaling in terms of capacity or cost that are being looked at. Examples include venues, malls, and large logistics and industrial applications. This is in the early stages of development.

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This year, you will have a spectrum of possibilities at your fingertips. All you have to do is reach out and grab ahold.

For more information on shared spectrum, visit: https://www.federatedwireless.com/technology/

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