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# UVA Deploys CBRS Network With Comcast to Boost Cell Coverage
- URL: https://broadbandbreakfast.com/uva-deploys-cbrs-network-with-comcast-to-boost-cell-coverage/
- Published: 2025-05-12T19:51:03.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-11T05:53:36.000Z
- Description: The university’s historic Grounds get wireless upgrade with the help of shared spectrum.
- Author: Jericho Casper
- Tags: Virginia, cellular, #with-siderail, CBRS, Comcast, University of Virginia, FCC, Druid Software, Airspan, DAS

May 12, 2025 – The University of Virginia has partnered with Comcast Business to address longstanding cellular coverage gaps across its Charlottesville Grounds, leveraging Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum and a newly deployed private wireless network.

The system, [now live](https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/comcast-business-university-of-virginia-private-wireless-network-solution-cellular-carrier-integration?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com) in select areas, integrates directly with participating mobile carriers, enabling students, faculty, and visitors to connect automatically. The deployment targets historically poor coverage areas, including UVA’s 19th-century buildings and crowded public zones.

“The beauty of this solution is the user doesn’t have to do anything,” **Justin Markle**, senior vice president of wireless partnerships and development for Comcast, said [in an interview](https://cvillerightnow.com/news/208802-uva-comcast-announce-enhanced-wireless-connectivity-using-citizens-broadband-radio-service/?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com) with *Cville Right Now*. “We partner with major carriers so users automatically connect, like they were connecting to a tower of that carrier.”

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Comcast's network uses a software-based radio capable of broadcasting multiple carriers’ signals simultaneously. Unlike traditional distributed antenna systems (DAS) that require extensive infrastructure, this setup offers a lower-cost, quickly scalable solution, Comcast said.

 “We can serve a larger population through a single radio,” Markle said. “It’s the most cost-effective and targeted approach.”

Comcast did not disclose which carriers are live on the network. The system also supports UVA-owned SIM-based devices and can be configured to power dedicated use cases like campus safety, research, and IoT operations.

CBRS, a mid-band spectrum band (3550–3700 MHz) opened by the FCC in 2020, enables institutions to deploy their own cellular networks using a mix of licensed and unlicensed access. UVA owns Priority Access Licenses for parts of the band, and Comcast supplements coverage using unlicensed General Authorized Access.