Zinwave CTO says OnGo is ‘the space to watch’
The 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band is poised of offer both operator and other market entrants prioritized access to valuable new spectrum in support of private LTE, the internet of things (IoT) and other use cases. And, while the Federal Communications Commission still hasn’t finalized pending rule changes regarding licensure of the spectrum, the CBRS Alliance is pushing new branding, dubbed OnGo, as well as a device certification program meant to ensure interoperability.
The CBRS Alliance has identified three primary use cases for the band: in-building cellular, connectivity in public spaces and industrial IoT implementations. To the in-building piece, CBRS is seen as potentially opening up new business models for neutral host providers. Commercial real estate interests, including major real estate services firm CBRE, worked with the CBRS Alliance to help shape specifications and other aspects of the technology.
CBRE SVP of Building Technology Services Cris Kimbrough said CBRS “will allow us to focus on the massive value associated with uncompromised connectivity, which is what matters most to everyone. OnGo will allow me to more easily articulate the many innovate business opportunities that will unfold as a result of opening the 3.5 GHz band for commercial sharing, significantly streamlining conversations within the real estate industry.”
To the interoperability piece, the certification program was developed by CBRS Alliance members, the CTIA and a number of test labs around the world. Mobile Experts President and Founder Joe Madden said the certification program will set the stage for “successful deployment and seamless interoperability. There’s strong pent-up demand for businesses that want better LTE coverage, but they cannot buy a product that is inexpensive and easy to use. At about 40 cents per square foot, and very simple installation, OnGo has potential to open up the huge untapped enterprise market.” He said OnGo is attractive to a broad range of users including mobile operators, cable companies, neutral host providers and enterprises.
In-building provider Zinwave is piloting CBRS for private LTE with several of its Fortune 100 customers, according to the company. With compatible DAS and small cell products, Zinwave said the pilot builds on a recent demo wherein the company used its CBRS-compatible DAS and small cell to operate a 4K video display.
In a modern business environment, Wi-Fi just isn’t enough, Zinwave CEO Scott Willis said. “An OnGo network enables IoT applications and has an advantage in providing the coverage, capacity, security and reliability future corporate networks require…OnGo is going to fill the gaps where Wi-Fi is unable to meet demand.” Company CTO Slavko Djukic said with the release of compatible small cell and DAS, Zinwave “customers will be the first to benefit from a private LTE network. OnGo is in the very early stages and variou suse cases are in discussion…This is going to be the space to watch.”
