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  "description": "The university’s historic Grounds get wireless upgrade with the help of shared spectrum.\n",
  "path": "/uva-deploys-cbrs-network-with-comcast-to-boost-cell-coverage/",
  "publishedAt": "2025-05-12T19:51:03.000Z",
  "site": "https://broadbandbreakfast.com",
  "tags": [
    "_now live_",
    "_in an interview_",
    "VirginiaGet a snapshot view of broadband initiatives in Virginia.Broadband BreakfastState Broadband"
  ],
  "textContent": "May 12, 2025 – The University of Virginia has partnered with Comcast Business to address longstanding cellular coverage gaps across its Charlottesville Grounds, leveraging Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum and a newly deployed private wireless network.\n\nThe system, _now live_ in select areas, integrates directly with participating mobile carriers, enabling students, faculty, and visitors to connect automatically. The deployment targets historically poor coverage areas, including UVA’s 19th-century buildings and crowded public zones.\n\n“The beauty of this solution is the user doesn’t have to do anything,” **Justin Markle** , senior vice president of wireless partnerships and development for Comcast, said _in an interview_ with _Cville Right Now_. “We partner with major carriers so users automatically connect, like they were connecting to a tower of that carrier.”\n\nVirginiaGet a snapshot view of broadband initiatives in Virginia.Broadband BreakfastState Broadband\n\nComcast's network uses a software-based radio capable of broadcasting multiple carriers’ signals simultaneously. Unlike traditional distributed antenna systems (DAS) that require extensive infrastructure, this setup offers a lower-cost, quickly scalable solution, Comcast said.\n\n“We can serve a larger population through a single radio,” Markle said. “It’s the most cost-effective and targeted approach.”\n\nComcast did not disclose which carriers are live on the network. The system also supports UVA-owned SIM-based devices and can be configured to power dedicated use cases like campus safety, research, and IoT operations.\n\nCBRS, a mid-band spectrum band (3550–3700 MHz) opened by the FCC in 2020, enables institutions to deploy their own cellular networks using a mix of licensed and unlicensed access. UVA owns Priority Access Licenses for parts of the band, and Comcast supplements coverage using unlicensed General Authorized Access.",
  "title": "UVA Deploys CBRS Network With Comcast to Boost Cell Coverage",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-11T03:29:38.264Z"
}