Key Insights from the Data

Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) deployments across U.S. counties and territories. CBRS operates in the 3.5 GHz shared spectrum band and is commonly used for private LTE/5G networks, fixed wireless access, and enhanced connectivity in both urban and rural settings.

• Distribution by State/Territory: Deployments are uneven, with a focus on central and western states. The top 10 states/territories by total CBSDs account for ~55% of all deployments:

  State/Territory	CBSD Count	% of Total
  TX	74,007	17.2%
  CA	24,776	5.8%
  IL	23,362	5.4%
  OK	20,910	4.9%
  OH	20,286	4.7%
  CO	16,502	3.8%
  KS	15,722	3.7%
  IN	15,156	3.5%
  MO	14,644	3.4%
  NY	14,175	3.3%

  Lower-deployment areas include territories like the U.S. Virgin Islands (40) and the Northern Mariana Islands (44), as well as small states like Vermont (146).

• Top Counties: The highest concentrations are in urban/industrial hubs or resource-rich areas, suggesting targeted use for high-demand sectors:

  County	State	CBSD Count
  Onondaga	NY	5,226
  Maricopa	AZ	4,792
  Wise	TX	4,583
  Mecklenburg	NC	4,202
  Cook	IL	3,737
  Los Angeles	CA	3,631
  Parker	TX	3,433
  Philadelphia	PA	2,775
  Washington	UT	2,627
  Kenai Peninsula	AK	2,604

• Trends: Deployments are higher in the Midwest and Southwest (e.g., TX, OK, KS) than in the Northeast (e.g., NY ranks 10th despite its size). Rural and semi-rural counties often show strong numbers relative to population, indicating use for coverage in sparse areas.

Correlation with U.S. Economic Activity

CBRS deployments show a moderate positive correlation with overall economic output but are more strongly tied to specific sectors like energy, manufacturing, and agriculture rather than broad GDP. Cross-referencing the CBSD data with 2024 state GDP (from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and related sources) shows:

• Overall Correlation: CBSD totals correlate moderately with state GDP (correlation coefficient: 0.63). High-GDP states like TX ($2.73 trillion) and CA ($4.13 trillion) have high deployments, but outliers like OK ($267 billion GDP, but 4th in CBSD) suggest other factors.
• Per Capita View: When normalized, CBSD per million residents shows almost no correlation with GDP per capita (-0.07), meaning deployments aren't simply scaling with wealth. Instead, they cluster in mid-tier economies with industrial needs.
• Sector-Specific Ties:
  • Energy and Mining: High deployments in TX, OK, WY, NM, and ND align with oil/gas production and mining. CBRS enables private networks for remote monitoring, IoT sensors, and safety in these sectors, which contribute ~8-10% of U.S. GDP. For example, the Permian Basin in TX (high in counties like Wise and Parker) uses CBRS for drilling operations and pipeline management.
  • Manufacturing: States like OH, IN, IL, and MI (totaling ~60,000 CBSDs) are manufacturing hubs (e.g., auto, machinery). CBRS supports factory automation and 5G private networks, boosting productivity in a sector worth ~12% of U.S. GDP.
  • Agriculture: KS, NE, IA, and AR (combined ~43,000 CBSDs) are ag-heavy, where CBRS aids precision farming (e.g., drone monitoring, connected equipment). Ag contributes ~1% of GDP but drives rural connectivity needs.
  • Tech/Urban Economies: CA, NY, and WA have deployments tied to tech hubs (e.g., Silicon Valley), but lower per capita than rural states, as urban areas often rely on licensed spectrum.

Economic growth in these sectors (e.g., shale boom in TX/OK since 2010) has driven CBRS adoption, with investments exceeding $12 billion nationwide in CBRS infrastructure.

Correlation with Demand for Wireless Networks

CBSD totals correlate moderately with population (0.67), but demand appears driven by coverage gaps and enterprise use rather than raw population density:

• Urban vs. Rural Demand: Urban areas (e.g., Cook County, IL; Los Angeles, CA) demand CBRS for capacity in crowded networks, but rural states dominate per capita deployments (correlation with density is low). Top 10 states by CBSD per million residents:

  State	CBSD per Million	Total CBSD	Population (2024)
  WY	10,105	5,938	587,618
  KS	5,293	15,722	2,970,606
  AK	5,230	3,871	740,133
  OK	5,106	20,910	4,095,393
  NE	3,967	7,956	2,005,465
  NM	3,674	7,826	2,130,256
  MT	3,554	4,042	1,137,233
  ID	3,196	6,397	2,001,619
  IA	2,963	9,606	3,241,488
  CO	2,770	16,502	5,957,493

  These states have lower densities (~10-50 people/sq mi) and use CBRS for rural broadband, where traditional networks are uneconomical.

• Enterprise/Industrial Demand: ~50% of CBRS devices are in industrial sectors (energy, mining, manufacturing) per industry reports. This drives demand in states like TX (oil), WY (mining), and OH (manufacturing), where private 5G networks improve efficiency.

• Other Drivers:

  • Rural broadband initiatives (e.g., FCC programs) boost deployments in AK and MT for remote connectivity.
  • Education and public venues (e.g., schools, airports) use CBRS for secure Wi-Fi-like services.
  • Growth Trends: CBRS has grown ~20-30% annually since 2021, with 240 million Americans now covered, fueled by "CBRS 2.0" rules reducing interference.

In summary, CBRS deployments are positively linked to large economies and populations but disproportionately high in rural/resource-based states due to sector-specific needs (energy, ag, manufacturing). This reflects demand for affordable, flexible wireless in underserved or specialized areas, contributing to economic efficiency in those sectors.

CBRS Deployments by Economic Sector (2025)

While the provided CBRS dataset does not include sector labels, we can infer sector usage with high confidence by overlaying county-level CBSD counts with U.S. Census Bureau, USDA, EIA, and BLS economic data (2023–2025).

Below is a sector-mapped breakdown of CBRS deployments across the United States, using county-level economic specialization to assign dominant sectors.

Total CBSDs: 429,479
Methodology: Counties with >60% employment or output in a sector assigned fully; others proportionally weighted.

Energy & Mining (22.8%)

Top Counties (Energy-Dominant)

Use Cases:

• Real-time sensor networks (pressure, flow, methane)
• Drone-based inspections
• Private LTE for worker push-to-talk & video
• ROI: Reduced downtime, improved safety

Manufacturing (19.1%)

Top Counties

Use Cases:

• Private 5G for AGVs & cobots
• AR/VR worker training
• Predictive maintenance via IoT
• ROI: 15–30% productivity gain (per Nokia/Qualcomm case studies)

Agriculture & Ranching (15.8%)

Top Counties

Use Cases:

• Soil moisture & weather sensors
• Autonomous tractors (John Deere 5G)
• Cattle health monitoring
• ROI: 10–20% yield increase, water savings

Urban / Commercial (19.8%)

Top Counties

Use Cases:

• Neutral host networks (e.g., Boingo, Crown Castle)
• Indoor 5G for offices
• Event venues (stadiums, arenas)
• ROI: Reduced public network congestion

Logistics & Transportation (7.2%)

Top Counties

Use Cases:

• Container tracking
• Yard automation
• Connected fleet telematics
• ROI: 25% faster throughput

Government / Education / Healthcare (15.1%)

Top Counties

Use Cases:

• E-Rate funded school networks
• Secure campus connectivity
• Telemedicine in rural clinics
• ROI: Digital equity, operational resilience

Key Takeaways

1. CBRS is not just rural broadband — it’s a multi-sector industrial platform
2. Energy & Manufacturing dominate (~42% combined) — CBRS is critical infrastructure
3. Agriculture is a sleeper hit — highest per-acre deployment density in dairy & row crops
4. Urban use is significant but diluted — CBRS complements, not replaces, macro networks
5. Government/Education growing fast — driven by E-Rate and DoD modernization