CBRS Private Networks: What They Are and Why Companies Build Them

Most companies connect their sites in one of two ways. They use Wi-Fi inside buildings, and they buy cellular service from a carrier for anything that moves or sits outdoors. Both work, but both have limits. Wi-Fi runs on unlicensed spectrum that anyone can use, so performance drops when many networks and devices compete for the same channels. Carrier service depends on the carrier's coverage, pricing and priorities, which the company cannot control.

The Citizens Broadband Radio Service, usually called CBRS, gives companies a third option. It lets an organization run its own LTE or 5G network, with its own radios and SIM cards, on spectrum that it does not have to buy at auction. This article explains how CBRS works, why companies use it and what to check before starting a project.

How CBRS works

The FCC created CBRS in 2015 for shared use of 150 MHz of spectrum between 3550 and 3700 MHz. The rules are in Part 96 of the FCC's rules. Access to the band is divided into three tiers:

• Incumbent access covers the existing users of the band, mainly federal radar systems and certain satellite earth stations. They are always protected from interference by the other two tiers.
• Priority Access Licenses (PALs) are 10 MHz channels in the 3550 to 3650 MHz part of the band. The FCC sold them county by county at auction in 2020. Each license lasts 10 years and can be renewed. A PAL holder is protected from General Authorized Access users in its area.
• General Authorized Access (GAA) is open to anyone using certified equipment, across the whole band, with no license fee. GAA users must accept interference from the higher tiers and have no protection from each other.

A cloud service called a Spectrum Access System (SAS) coordinates the tiers. Every CBRS radio registers with a SAS before it transmits. The SAS tells it which channel and power level to use, and moves it to another channel when a higher-priority user needs the spectrum. Sensor networks along the coasts detect federal radar activity and report it to the SAS. Companies pay an FCC-approved SAS provider for this service as a subscription.

Most private networks run on GAA. New America's October 2026 report on CBRS found that 96 percent of CBRS base stations use GAA channels, and that nearly two-thirds of CBRS users rely on GAA alone.

Why companies build private CBRS networks

They own the network and the data

A private CBRS network belongs to the organization that runs it. The company decides where the radios go, which devices can join and how traffic is prioritized. Data from cameras, sensors and handheld devices can stay on site instead of passing through a carrier's network. For plants, ports, airports and hospitals, that control is often the main reason for the project.

Coverage is more predictable than Wi-Fi

CBRS radios transmit at higher power than Wi-Fi access points. The FCC allows up to 1 watt per 10 MHz for Category A radios, which are used indoors and at low heights outdoors, and up to 50 watts per 10 MHz for Category B radios, which are mounted outdoors and must be registered by a certified installer. Because the SAS assigns channels, a CBRS network also faces less unplanned interference than a Wi-Fi network in a crowded building. In practice, a few CBRS radios can often cover a warehouse floor, yard or campus that would need many more Wi-Fi access points.

Devices stay connected when they move

LTE and 5G were designed for devices that move. A forklift tablet, a security guard's radio or a vehicle on a large site can move between CBRS cells without dropping its connection. Wi-Fi networks can do this too, but it takes more careful design and is less reliable across large outdoor areas.

SIM-based security

Every device on a CBRS network uses a SIM card issued by the network owner, and devices without one cannot connect. This is a stronger control than a shared Wi-Fi password, and it makes it easy to remove a lost or retired device from the network.

Lower running costs than carrier service at scale

GAA spectrum has no license fee. The ongoing costs are the SAS subscription, the core network (bought as a service or run on site), SIM management and normal maintenance. For a site with hundreds of connected devices, this is often less than paying a carrier a monthly fee per device.

How widely CBRS is used

CBRS is now an established technology. According to the OnGo Alliance, the industry group for CBRS, the band supported more than 446,000 active base stations across the United States in July 2026, with 1.3 million active frequency grants and more than 1,600 certified device models. The OnGo Alliance and WISPA have also reported that about 75 percent of private 5G networks in the United States run on CBRS. Users include manufacturers, school districts, airports, ports, utilities and rural internet providers.

What to check before you start

CBRS is a good fit for many sites, but a project goes better when these points are settled early:

1. Device support. Phones, tablets, routers and sensors must support LTE Band 48 or 5G band n48. Many current enterprise devices do, but older equipment may not.
2. The core network. Every LTE or 5G network needs a core to manage SIMs and route traffic. Decide whether you will run it on site or buy it as a cloud service.
3. PAL or GAA. Most sites use GAA. If a site needs protection from other commercial users nearby, check whether a PAL is available to lease in that county. New America notes that most PALs are already owned.
4. Coastal and federal areas. Near the coast, the SAS may move or pause GAA channels when federal radar is active. Plan for this, especially for critical uses.
5. Changes to the rules. The FCC has an open proceeding on CBRS rules, and some carriers have proposed raising outdoor power limits by 32 to 320 times. The OnGo Alliance and many enterprise users oppose these proposals because higher-power radios would reduce the channels available to everyone else. It is worth following this proceeding before making a large investment.

How Senzary uses CBRS

Senzary designs networks that combine CBRS with LoRaWAN, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, depending on what each device needs. CBRS carries high-bandwidth traffic such as video, voice and handheld devices. LoRaWAN carries data from battery-powered sensors that report a few bytes at a time. Our SmartCity and AirportIQ deployments use this combination. At Miami International Airport, we surveyed LoRaWAN coverage in Terminal D alongside an active CBRS network, and the sensors lost no packets while both networks were running.

Next steps

If you are deciding how to connect a plant, campus, port or airport, our team can help you compare CBRS, LoRaWAN and Wi-Fi for each part of the site. You can read more about our network layer, or book a call with our team to discuss your site.