The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States provides procedures on evaluating Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) for compliance under Part 96.
The FCC recently created rules that permit the use of the 3550-3700 MHz band under the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). Devices operating in this band are called Citizens Broadband Radio Service Devices (CBSDs) or End User Devices; and, the rules governing their operations are in Part 96.
These procedures provide guidance on the applicable compliance/approval procedures, technical requirements, and Part 96 Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) interaction with Spectrum Access System (SAS) evaluation.
With this update, the CPE-CBSD Handshake Procedures have been updated to clarify the Equipment Authorization Procedures.
For equipment authorization of devices which may need to use “in-band” communications, the specific protocol for communications must be pre-approved by the FCC under the Pre-Approval Guidance (PAG) procedures for manufacturers
The submission for such approval must include the following:
- Description of the conditions under which such communications will occur
- The maximum permitted transmission times, duration, and repetition rates for the messages for connecting to the SAS
- Arrangements for avoiding interference
Grants shall specify that the device may only be operated as a CBSD-CPE subject to configuration and control protocols as specified in the filing.
Certification submissions should also explain how the protocol will be verified to show compliance with the specifications and other technical requirements.
The test report must demonstrate compliance with the technical requirements and appropriate use cases.