Federated Wireless Supporting Indoor Shared Spectrum Antenna Systems

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2026 – Federated Wireless is launching a new system that will allow mobile carriers to provide indoor connectivity on Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum.

Mobile connectivity in large venues like sports arenas is provided with antenna systems throughout the building. Those typically have to use the carriers’ licensed spectrum, taking capacity from the surrounding outdoor area, Federated CTO Kurt Schaubach said.

The idea is that by supporting CBRS, spectrum that can be accessed for free, the system would free up licensed spectrum capacity carriers currently use for that indoor connectivity.

“The value proposition for the mobile network operators is that it’s high quality, mid-band spectrum,” Schaubach said. “It’s spectrum that they don’t have to necessarily pay for, because they can use the general authorized access tier. We can find 120 megahertz or more of spectrum that they can use indoors”

CBRS has a tiered licensing system, with Navy radars getting protection from any interference and priority license holders getting protection from free general access users. Federated is a spectrum access system administrator for the band, meaning it coordinates spectrum use among the three tiers of users.

Schaubach said the company expects to start seeing adoption of the new system in the second half of this year. Some equipment still needs to be certified with the Federal Communications Commission for use in CBRS systems.

“This is something that is really imminent and that we’re on the cusp of enabling commercially,” he said.

Federated recently convinced the FCC to approve the idea of a distributed antenna system (DAS) for CBRS, which involves the new equipment certifications and new installer trainings.

Schaubach said some existing DAS radios can already support CBRS and would only require a software update for a venue to switch to Federated’s service.

The major wireless carriers whose spectrum the product is designed to save have been lukewarm on CBRS, preferring their exclusively licensed, higher power spectrum to sharing models.

“We think this is really going to energize their interest, because there’s a lot of clear, material benefits that this provides to the MNO community,” Schaubach said. 

Wireless ISPs, who also use CBRS to provide broadband, have been repeatedly urging the FCC not to alter the shared band in recent months. There was fear among some users that the agency would consider selling some of the spectrum – something AT&T has proposed in the past – to meet Congressional spectrum auction goals. 

FCC Commissioners Olivia Trusty and Anna Gomez have spoken positively of the band, and GOP lawmakers have defended it as well.

Verizon, which spent $1.9 billion on priority CBRS licenses, has advocated for raising the band’s power limits, something Federated also supports. Other users have opposed the idea, citing interference concerns.