CBRS Alliance Announces Inaugural OnGo™ Awards to Recognize Outstanding Deployments in the 3.5 GHz Band

Awards program will recognize outstanding commercial deployments of OnGo technology across the U.S. at Connect (X) 2020


SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The CBRS Alliance, an industry organization focused on driving the development, commercialization, and adoption of OnGo™ shared spectrum solutions, announces the launch of the OnGo Awards program, an initiative recognizing innovations in delivering OnGo solutions to real-world end users and highlighting the market impact of shared spectrum in the 3.5 GHz CBRS band.

The CBRS band is estimated to directly contribute as much as $15.6 billion to the U.S. economy, while its actual value to consumers is estimated to be as much as $80-260 billion. With the industry anticipating the FCC’s announcement marking the end of the initial commercial deployment phase and solidifying full commercial deployment by the end of 2019, the 2020 OnGo Awards aim to celebrate the breadth and variety of the OnGo ecosystem, ranging from device manufacturers to network operators to managed service providers, as well as the extensive industry and government collaboration required to make the CBRS band available for commercial use.

By using OnGo shared spectrum technology, mobile and cable operators – as well as rural broadband providers, manufacturers, retailers, hotels, stadiums, concert venues, and office buildings – now have access to more secure, reliable, and high-quality connectivity. Consumers also have access to improved wireless connectivity through OnGo-compatible mobile devices, including the Google Pixel 4, Motorola’s 5G Moto Mod, Samsung Galaxy S10, Apple iPhone 11, LG G8 ThinQ, and OnePlus 7 Pro, all of which are on the market today. Since the FCC authorized initial commercial service in September, a host of compelling deployments have been publicly announced at large retail facilities, sporting events, airports, and other venues.

“Since the official launch of OnGo commercial service, dozens of companies have already made a strong statement about the value of OnGo private LTE networks based in the 3.5 GHz band in a variety of industries,” said Alan Ewing, Executive Director of the CBRS Alliance. “More than 150 members of the CBRS Alliance – and the greater wireless market – are demonstrating that they are ready to deliver new services to their customers as well as augment existing networks. Demand will only continue to grow with 5G NR deployments in the band.”

The 2020 OnGo Awards will be judged by a panel of judges comprised of industry analysts with distinct expertise within the OnGo market. The panel of judges is led by Joe Madden, Founder and Chief Analyst at Mobile Experts, a network of market and technology experts that analyze wireless markets. The full list of judges includes:

  • Gabriel Brown, Principal Analyst – Mobile Networks & 5G, Heavy Reading
  • Iain Gillott, Founder and President, iGR
  • Ken Rehbehn, Directing Analyst, Critical Communications, IHS Markit
  • Mark Lowenstein, Managing Director, Mobile Ecosystem
  • Monica Paolini, Principal, Senza Fili

“Five years from now, we will look back at 2020 as a major turning point in the wireless market. This is the year that, with successful GAA operation and with PAL licenses, we expect to see a decided shift from operator-funded projects to enterprise-funded projects, and the monolithic smartphone market will start its shift to a more diverse world of connected things,” said Madden. “Despite a surge of OnGo deployments in 2019, we expect 160% growth in 2020, driven by a wide variety of companies in at least five different business models.”

Submissions for the 2020 OnGo Awards will open in Q1 2020. Entry will be open to both members and non-members of the CBRS Alliance. More information on the specific award categories and associated deadlines will be announced in the coming months. Award winners will be announced and honored on-stage at Connect (X), the leading 5G infrastructure event in North America that brings together wireless media, enterprises, commercial network operators, integrators, technology suppliers, and infrastructure partners. The 2020 Connect (X) event will take place May 18-20 at the Miami Convention Center in Florida.

For more information on the CBRS Alliance and OnGo, please visit www.cbrsalliance.org.

About OnGo™
OnGo™ is uncompromised connectivity. An innovative approach to maximizing mobile broadband, OnGo is a technology that puts the power of wireless networks into the hands of those that rely on them to empower and expand business opportunities. OnGo presents nearly limitless options for enhanced customizability and allows users to tailor networks to a specific set of needs, such as Private LTE, neutral host and Industrial IoT applications, while providing investment protection as the first mid-band solution for 5G. OnGo Certified is a recognized seal of approval that indicates a product’s ability to meet a high set of quality, interoperability and security standards when tested by an independent, OnGo-Authorized test laboratory. Both the OnGo brand and the OnGo Certification Program are managed and maintained by the CBRS Alliance.

About the CBRS Alliance
The CBRS Alliance believes that 4G and 5G solutions in the CBRS band, utilizing shared spectrum, can enable both in-building and outdoor coverage and capacity expansion at massive scale. In order to maximize the CBRS band’s full potential, the CBRS Alliance aims to enable a robust ecosystem towards making OnGo solutions available. The mission of the CBRS Alliance is to evangelize 4G and 5G OnGo technology, use cases and business opportunities while simultaneously driving technology developments necessary to fulfill the mission, including multi-operator capabilities. The Alliance also established an effective product certification program for OnGo equipment in the U.S. 3.5 GHz band ensuring multi-vendor interoperability. For more information, please visit www.cbrsalliance.org and follow the CBRS Alliance on LinkedIn and Twitter.

CONTACTS

CBRS Alliance
Caitlin Haskins, 10Fold Communications
Email: OnGo@10fold.com
Phone: 925-271-8219
www.cbrsalliance.org