Private LTE / 5G with Local Control, QoS & Auditable Security
CBRS — Citizens Broadband Radio Service (3.55–3.7 GHz, US) enables private LTE / 5G on your own spectrum slice with local coverage, deterministic QoS, SIM-based security, and cost control.
SolveForce designs CBRS networks end-to-end—RF planning, SAS coordination, EPC/5GC core, SIM/eSIM lifecycle, backhaul, security, and observability—so you get carrier-grade mobility on premises with evidence for audits.
Where this fits:
📡 Private RAN → Private LTE / 5G • 🌐 Access → Fixed Wireless • 📶 Mobile WAN → Mobile Connectivity
🔀 Control → SD-WAN • 🚪 Edge → NAC • 🔐 Per-app → ZTNA / SASE
🏢 Interconnect → Colocation • 🔗 On-ramps → Direct Connect
🎯 Outcomes (Why CBRS with SolveForce)
- Local, deterministic wireless — campus/plant/venue mobility with predictable QoS & coverage.
- Ownership & independence — run your LTE/5G core & policies; integrate with your identity & security stack.
- SIM-based security — strong device identity, remote lock/wipe, per-app policy.
- Cost-efficient scale — avoid per-device carrier contracts; pool data; neutral-host options.
- Audit-ready — RF, SAS, core, SIM events → SIEM; change records & SLOs published.
🧭 CBRS in Plain English (What it is)
- Band: 3550–3700 MHz (US).
- Spectrum tiers:
- Incumbent (protected),
- PAL (Priority Access Licenses),
- GAA (General Authorized Access).
- SAS (Spectrum Access System) coordinates channels & power so everyone plays fair.
- CBSDs (radios) register with SAS; Category A/B (indoor/outdoor/high-power).
- Core: 4G EPC or 5G Core (AMF/UPF/etc.) on-prem or cloud-adjacent; optional roaming to MNOs.
- Devices: SIM/eSIM/embedded LTE-Cat/5G modems; smartphones, scanners, AGVs, tablets, XR, cameras.
We handle SAS integration, CPI installs (Certified Professional Installer), and compliance paperwork—end to end.
🧱 Building Blocks (Spelled out)
- RAN: CBSD radios + antennas (sector/omni/panel), Cat-A/B, indoor DAS/small cells or outdoor macro.
- Core: Private EPC/5GC (on-prem or colo), or hosted—with local breakout and QoS.
- SIM/eSIM: profile generation, K/MSISDN lifecycle, IMEI lock, per-role policy.
- Backhaul: fiber, Lit/Wavelength/Dark Fiber, Fixed Wireless, or Mobile; IPsec/GRE to hub. → Lit Fiber • Wavelength Services • Dark Fiber • Fixed Wireless
- Policy/QoS: APN/DP rules, traffic classes, slicing (5G), PCEF/PCF for per-app treatment.
- Identity & Posture: SIM auth + device posture via MDM/UEM and EDR. → MDM / UEM • EDR / MDR / XDR
🧰 Design Patterns (Choose your fit)
A) Industrial Campus (OT/AGV/Robotics)
- Outdoor macro + indoor small cells; local 5GC; deterministic QoS for motion/PLC; SD-WAN backhaul to DC/cloud.
B) Enterprise Venue / Education / Healthcare
- Indoor CBSDs + neutral-host overlay for staff/guests; SIM for corp, roaming/MOCN for visitors; per-app ZTNA.
C) Warehouse & Yard
- Cat-M/LTE & 5G devices; panel antennas at dock/yard; APN isolation for scanners/carts; RF-aware handoff maps.
D) Rural FWA / Private Backhaul
- Outdoor Cat-B CBSDs + high-gain CPE; layer with Fixed Wireless & Fiber; QoS for voice/telemetry.
E) Neutral-Host (Public-Safety / MNO share)
- MOCN/MORAN interop; shared RAN, private core for enterprise data; clear slice/APN segregation.
🔐 Security & Zero-Trust (Concrete, enforceable)
- SIM identity + eUICC lifecycle; IMEI lock; lost-device kill.
- APN firewalls; private APN for corp traffic; IPsec/mTLS to core/services. → Encryption • PKI
- NAC at the edge for non-SIM joins (guest Wi-Fi interop). → NAC
- ZTNA/SASE for user/app access; no flat VPNs. → ZTNA • SASE
- MDM/UEM + EDR required for smart devices; policy gates before network attach. → MDM / UEM • EDR / MDR / XDR
- Evidence streams — SIM auth, SAS events, core CDR/SMF logs → SIEM; SOAR playbooks for revoke/rotate/lock. → SIEM / SOAR
📐 SLO Guardrails (Targets you can measure)
| KPI / Scenario | Indoor Small Cell | Outdoor Macro (Cat-B) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downlink | 100–500+ Mb/s | 50–300+ Mb/s | RF & channel width dependent |
| Uplink | 20–150 Mb/s | 10–100 Mb/s | Antennas & EIRP matter |
| One-way latency (user→UPF) | 10–25 ms | 15–35 ms | 5G SA lower than NSA |
| Roaming handoff | ≤ 50–150 ms | ≤ 50–150 ms | Device & core config |
| Availability (redundant CBSDs/core) | 99.9–99.99% | 99.9–99.99% | Dual power/backhaul helps |
SLO breaches trigger alarms, carrier/SAS tickets, and SOAR actions (channel change, power adjust, reroute).
🔎 RF & Site Engineering (What we actually do)
- Propagation & heatmaps (3.5 GHz): walls/loss models, clutter, EIRP, azimuth/tilt, link budgets.
- Antenna planning: sectorization vs omni; panel for aisles; ground/roof mounts with surge protection.
- SAS onboarding: CBSD registration, CPI install, PAL/GAA assignment, heartbeat monitoring.
- Interference mgmt: channel plans, neighbor lists, PCI/NR-ARFCN planning; periodic audits.
📊 Observability & NOC
- KPIs: RSRP/RSRQ/SINR/CQI, attach success, attach time, PRB utilization, drops, throughput, latency.
- Alarms to NOC; weekly reports on coverage gaps, device mix, channel utilization; SIM inventory and usage. → NOC Services
💵 Commercials (No surprises)
- Spectrum: GAA (no license cost) or PAL (licensed in-county); SAS fees per CBSD.
- Hardware: CBSDs, antennas, mounts, CPEs, SIM cards, 4G/5G core (on-prem or hosted).
- Services: RF design, CPI install, SAS onboarding, core integration, SIM lifecycle, NOC/SOC.
- Backhaul: fiber / wavelength / fixed wireless / mobile; cross-connects in colo if used. → Colocation • Lit Fiber
🧪 Turn-Up & Acceptance
1) Design & permits — RF model, Bill of Materials, safety & grounding plan.
2) Install — CBSDs/antennas; power/ground; backhaul; core/APN; SIM provisioning.
3) SAS & CPI — register CBSDs; set EIRP; verify heartbeats & grants.
4) Baseline tests — coverage walk test, throughput, latency, handoff, failover, attach time.
5) Go-live — NOC dashboards; SLO alerts; weekly performance review and tuning.
Artifacts (RF maps, SAS logs, baseline results) stream to SIEM for audits.
✅ Pre-Engagement Checklist
- 📍 Sites, floor plans, outdoor areas, ceiling heights, mounting options.
- 📡 Devices & use cases (voice/data/AGV/OT/IoT), density & mobility patterns.
- 🔐 Identity posture (SIM/MDM/EDR), per-app ZTNA needs. → MDM / UEM • ZTNA
- 🔀 Backhaul choices (fiber/fixed wireless/mobile) & redundancy plan.
- 🛰️ Spectrum strategy (PAL vs GAA), SAS provider preference, CPI scheduling.
- 📊 SLO targets (throughput/latency/availability), reporting cadence, SIEM export.
🔄 Where CBRS Fits (Recursive View)
1) Grammar — local wireless rails in Connectivity.
2) Syntax — feeds Cloud and on-prem apps via private core & SD-WAN.
3) Semantics — Cybersecurity enforces identity, posture, and logging.
4) Pragmatics — SolveForce AI predicts coverage/capacity, tunes channels & power.
5) Foundation — consistent terms via Primacy of Language.
6) Map — indexed in SolveForce Codex & Knowledge Hub.
📞 Deploy CBRS That’s Deterministic, Secure & Auditable
Related pages:
Private LTE / 5G • Fixed Wireless • Mobile Connectivity • SD-WAN • NAC • ZTNA • SASE • Encryption • PKI • Colocation • Direct Connect • Connectivity • Networks & Data Centers • Cybersecurity • SIEM / SOAR • NOC Services • Knowledge Hub