CBRS COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2026
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ SAS. Answer: Spectrum Access System. The scalable cloud service
that manages CBRS transmissions. The SAS manages information about
all users of the CBRS band,
in order to ensure that higher priority users are
protected from harmful interference.
◉ What frequency band does CBRS operate. Answer: 3550 MHz to
3700 MHz
◉ What are the three tiers for CBRS users? Answer: • Tier 1 - Tier one is
the incumbents. They were here first using the spectrum before the
CBRS band was created,
so they get top priority wherever overlap happens.
• Tier 2 - goes to CBRS users who paid to be protected from interference
from users in the third tier. They do this by buying a priority access
license, or PAL, at an auction. Having a PAL still doesn't guarantee
access at all times, because only incumbents get that. But the PAL
protects a tier two user from having their service interrupted by the users
of the third tier.
, • Tier 3 - general authorized access users, or GAA users.
GAA users can use the CBRS spectrum if it's not being used locally by
the other two tiers at that time. If a higher priority user is using a portion
of the spectrum at that time, GAA users may need to move to other parts
of the CBRS band. GAA users don't get any interference protection from
the other tiers, but they have a much much lower cost since they don't
need to buy a license.
◉ PAL. Answer: priority access license. protects a tier two user from
having their service interrupted by the users of the third tier.
◉ What does a PAL cover. Answer: PAL covers one county(only covers
areas you're actually using the pal not the hole county) and
offers protection for a single 10 megahertz channel.
◉ PPA. Answer: PAL protection area. is a contiguous area created by
calculating the combined service areas of
individual transmitters owned by the PAL user.
◉ CBRD. Answer: CBRS devices called CBSDs
talk to the SAS in order to
obtain permission to transmit.
They only get that permission if they won't be causing
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ SAS. Answer: Spectrum Access System. The scalable cloud service
that manages CBRS transmissions. The SAS manages information about
all users of the CBRS band,
in order to ensure that higher priority users are
protected from harmful interference.
◉ What frequency band does CBRS operate. Answer: 3550 MHz to
3700 MHz
◉ What are the three tiers for CBRS users? Answer: • Tier 1 - Tier one is
the incumbents. They were here first using the spectrum before the
CBRS band was created,
so they get top priority wherever overlap happens.
• Tier 2 - goes to CBRS users who paid to be protected from interference
from users in the third tier. They do this by buying a priority access
license, or PAL, at an auction. Having a PAL still doesn't guarantee
access at all times, because only incumbents get that. But the PAL
protects a tier two user from having their service interrupted by the users
of the third tier.
, • Tier 3 - general authorized access users, or GAA users.
GAA users can use the CBRS spectrum if it's not being used locally by
the other two tiers at that time. If a higher priority user is using a portion
of the spectrum at that time, GAA users may need to move to other parts
of the CBRS band. GAA users don't get any interference protection from
the other tiers, but they have a much much lower cost since they don't
need to buy a license.
◉ PAL. Answer: priority access license. protects a tier two user from
having their service interrupted by the users of the third tier.
◉ What does a PAL cover. Answer: PAL covers one county(only covers
areas you're actually using the pal not the hole county) and
offers protection for a single 10 megahertz channel.
◉ PPA. Answer: PAL protection area. is a contiguous area created by
calculating the combined service areas of
individual transmitters owned by the PAL user.
◉ CBRD. Answer: CBRS devices called CBSDs
talk to the SAS in order to
obtain permission to transmit.
They only get that permission if they won't be causing
