UVA Deploys CBRS Network With Comcast to Boost Cell Coverage
The university’s historic Grounds get wireless upgrade with the help of shared spectrum.
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 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 with Cville Right Now. “We partner with major carriers so users automatically connect, like they were connecting to a tower of that carrier.”
State Broadband
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.
