Spectrum

Citizens Broadband Radio Users Depend on Free Tier, New America Says

Proponents of the CBRS band fear disruption from increased power levels or an auction

Jake Neenan

Jake Neenan

— 3 min read
Citizens Broadband Radio Users Depend on Free Tier, New America Says
Photo of workers at BMW's plant in Spartanburg, S.C., which uses CBRS for a private network, in 2019 by Sean Rayford/AP

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2026 – Users of an important shared spectrum band still depend on its free, general access tier, according to a new analysis of data from one of the band’s coordinators.

As of July 2026, 96.3 percent of radios using the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) use its free general authorized access (GAA) tier. That’s up slightly from a government survey in July 2024.

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