Overview
Challenge plans to overbuild and prove that your customers are “served” as defined by the FCC using CBRS spectrum at 3 GHz, which the FCC now considers licensed. Cambium Networks’ cnHeat RF planning tool provides 1-meter precise coverage predictions based on LiDAR data that enables you to meet BDC requirements and deliver reliable service to your customers.
The FCC is in the process of updating its current broadband maps with more detailed and precise information on the availability of fixed and mobile broadband services. The Broadband Data Collection (BDC) program will give the FCC, industry, state, local and Tribal government entities and consumers the tools they need to improve the accuracy of existing maps. BDC reports will be used to support the evaluation of broadband connectivity grant eligibility, for example NTIA BEAD.
Built upon Cambium Networks’ expertise in fixed wireless Radio Frequency (RF) planning, propagation, and modeling as seen in LINKPlanner and integrated with GIS data down to one-meter precision, cnHeat allows the user to generate highly accurate RF predictions and derivative services that accurately represent the reality of the RF world.\
Simplify and automate the collection process
The cnHeat team has developed an easy-to-use wizard where a customer can define service levels (speed packages) and associate those to the various sites before submitting a job that can then be exported with accompanying supporting data. The team has taken care to ensure that the BDC specifications are adhered to for all exports. These facts put together create a tool that will no doubt save operators significant time in the reporting process. (Note: Most but not all fields of the supporting data will be populated.)
Provide precise, accurate and up-to-date broadband mapping data
Using the 1-meter precise coverage predictions based on LiDAR provided by cnHeat, users can remove much of the uncertainty in generating reliable coverage maps. Users can submit with confidence using this cnHeat feature that was specifically designed to meet the more stringent requirements of BDC.
Usage of existing tools and accurate heatmaps to provide BDC data using the polygon method
The accuracy of cnHeat has been proven in the industry. This new feature adds the ability for users to take their existing sites and run predictions to generate broadband availability polygons to meet the BDC requirements. The user can submit these polygons directly to the FCC or use them to accurately identify locations from the Broadband fabric that can be serviced to submit location data instead. Users will have both options available to them with cnHeat.