Why This Matters: Several cable operators are kicking the tires on commercial uses for the 3.5 GHz to 3.7 GHz slice of midband wireless spectrum.
Mediacom communications has become the latest cable operator to test out possible commercial applications involving CBRS, quietly revealing its plans in an FCC filing.
Iyad Tarazi, CEO of CBRS technology vendor Federated Wireless
The midsized cable operator joins peers Comcast, Charter Communications, Cox Communications and Midco in kicking the tires on the Citizens Broadband Radio Service, which operates on a swath of midband spectrum ranging from 3.5 Gigahertz to 3.7 GHz.
Use of this spectrum had been confined to a narrow set of applications, most concerning the U.S. Navy. But the FCC has finished its review of opening the unlicensed portion of the spectrum to commercial applications. They're done with all the work they need to do it's just a matter of paperwork right now, said Iyad Tarazi, CEO of CBRS technology vendor Federated Wireless, a startup backed by Charter, Arris and American Tower. Tarazi told B&C that the first commercial CBRS applications will roll out in June.
Use cases for CBRS right now involve things like shipyards and industrial plants any place where the formation of a private, secure, highly reliable LTE network would be a good thing. And these private LTE networks will eventually be built on 5G standards.
Pluses Over WiFi for Operators
For cable operators who have largely put WiFi at the end of their fiber and coax-fueled networks, CBRS could offer numerous advantages.
Cable operators have miles and miles of coax and fiber and connectivity that goes into many places and with DOCSIS, they can get to phenomenal speeds with it, Tarazi said. They've been exposing that capability to customers on a wireless basis via through WiFi networks. But they can take that same model to 4G and 5G instead of WiFi hotspots at the end. They could offer a shared spectrum LTE access point, connect any device, outdoor or indoor, and capitalize on all that infrastructure they have.
For operators of cable-based commercial wireless services like Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile, the game plan for switching between mobile virtual network operator (MVNO)-based Long-Term Evolution (LTE) service and WiFi is imperfect and maybe not all that cost-effective. Tarazi noted that establishing a CBRS endpoint in lieu of WiFi would enable operators to more elegantly switch from LTE to LTE in order to minimize usage of the MVNO network.
Meanwhile, the more CBRS endpoints they establish on their network, the less MVNO costs they incur.
Establishing 5G LTE networks would be superior for industrial Internet of Things applications, Tarazi said. CBRS could also be used to provide wireless broadband to hard-to-reach rural spaces, an application Midco has said it's interested in.
All three use cases work much much better if you don't have to pay for the spectrum, Tarazi added.
Keeping Specific Plans Close to Vest
Mediacom and the other cable operators are keeping their CBRS plans close to the vest right now.
There are multiple spectrum opportunities, some of which are free and some of which are licensed, Charter CEO Tom Rutledge said on the MSO's first-quarter earnings call. CBRS is what we're experimenting in and that will be available to us at no cost, at least part of it will be. And we also continue to develop WiFi and WiFi capabilities.
Why This Matters: Several cable operators are kicking the tires on commercial uses for the 3.5 GHz to 3.7 GHz slice of midband wireless spectrum.
Mediacom communications has become the latest cable operator to test out possible commercial applications involving CBRS, quietly revealing its plans in an FCC filing.Subscribe for full article
Member Exclusive
Get Access to Our Exclusive Content
Learn MoreAlready subscribed? Log In
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
29/05/2026
Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026
Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
Why This Matters: Several cable operators are kicking the tires on commercial uses for the 3.5 GHz to 3.7 GHz slice of midband wireless spectrum.
