Reflecting on Our FCC Authorization and What We've Built
Today marks exactly five years since the Federal Communications Commission took a pivotal step in enabling the full commercial potential of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band. On March 9, 2021, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology released Public Notice DA 21-289, certifying Key Bridge Wireless LLC as a Spectrum Access System (SAS) Administrator for full-scale commercial deployment in the 3.55-3.7 GHz band (the 3.5 GHz band).
The notice stated it clearly: after reviewing our Initial Commercial Deployment report in consultation with the Department of Defense and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the FCC determined that Key Bridge had met all requirements under Part 96 of the Commission's rules. We were authorized to make our SAS available for commercial use—for a five-year term. That document (GN Docket No. 15-319) was the green light that turned years of preparation into real-world service for CBSD operators, enterprises, and wireless innovators across the country.
I want to start with sincere thanks to the FCC—specifically to the teams in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology—for their rigorous review process, their collaboration with DoD and NTIA, and their commitment to making shared spectrum work at scale. The CBRS framework is a model of thoughtful spectrum policy, balancing incumbent protection with dynamic access for new users. Without that foundation and the FCC's approval, none of what we've achieved since would have been possible.
In the five years that followed we've not only maintained operations but have deliberately and continuously expanded and hardened our infrastructure. We began with a single data center in Chicago. Today, our Key Bridge SAS runs across four independent data centers — two fully dedicated to our service — with geo-redundancy designed to handle the demands of the entire ecosystem.
Some key milestones and current scale:
We've also invested heavily in software optimization—refining algorithms, improving interference modeling (as seen in recent FCC approvals for CBRS enhancements), and ensuring seamless scalability.
A standout achievement: our Dulles (VA) and San Jose (CA) data centers are now each capable of supporting the full CBRS ecosystem — that's all 500,000+ radios currently in operation — without performance degradation. We've conducted internal load tests confirming this headroom, giving us confidence that the infrastructure can grow with the band’s adoption.
These aren't just numbers on a slide deck. They represent deliberate choices: owning our hardware for control and reliability, building true geo-redundancy, and relentlessly testing at scale. The result is a service that has delivered exceptional uptime (99.986% lifetime availability) while supporting mission-critical private networks, fixed wireless broadband, and enterprise applications nationwide.
Looking back, March 9, 2021, was a starting line, not a finish. The FCC's authorization gave us the opportunity; what we've done with it reflects the team's commitment to engineering excellence, regulatory compliance, and customer trust.
As we enter the next chapter beyond the initial five-year term our focus remains the same: protect incumbents rigorously, enable innovation aggressively, and build infrastructure that scales without compromise.
Thank you again to the FCC for believing in this model and in Key Bridge. We're proud of what five years has produced, and we're just getting started.
Jesse
CEO, Key Bridge Wireless
Pages