- The company is not accepting new customers and is giving existing customers until June 10, 2027, to transition to a new SAS
- The SAS coordinates the use of frequencies in the CBRS band, making spectrum available on a dynamic, as-needed basis across three tiers
- Federated Wireless, the largest SAS administrator, says it’s ready to assist customers in the transition
Google is shutting down its Spectrum Access System (SAS) business and telling Citizens Broadband Radio Services (CBRS) customers to migrate to a new SAS provider by June 10, 2027.
A notice on Google Cloud’s website refers CBRS operators to the WinnForum site, where they can see a list of other FCC-approved SAS administrators, including Federated Wireless, Nokia, RED Technologies, Sony and Keybridge.
The company routinely evaluates its product portfolio and decided it’s time to retire the SAS.
“We have made the decision to wind down our Spectrum Access System (SAS) offering. We remain deeply committed to the telecommunications industry and our telco customers and partners globally,” a Google Cloud spokesperson said in a statement provided to Fierce.
“Our immediate focus is on working closely with affected customers to ensure a smooth transition and help them migrate to alternative providers that best support their business goals," the spokesperson added.
Google’s CBRS history
Google’s SAS exit isn’t a huge surprise. In 2024, Google decided to discontinue its CBRS network development tool that it introduced in 2019. The “Killed by Google” website runs a list of all the products and services it’s shut down.
Google certainly didn’t have the lion’s share of the SAS business. The biggest SAS operator by far is Federated Wireless, whose market share is around 83%, with 397,034 devices supported at last check.
Still, Google was an early pioneer in the CBRS industry, helping to get it off the ground with executives like Preston Marshall – who literally wrote the book on CBRS – and Andrew Clegg, former spectrum lead at the company. Google was a founding member of the CBRS Alliance, now called the OnGo Alliance, the main advocacy group for CBRS.
CBRS is a three-tiered shared spectrum framework unique to the U.S. that operates on both a licensed and unlicensed scheme while protecting Navy radar incumbents. Broadly speaking, big mobile operators aren’t big fans of CBRS because it’s not a fully licensed, high-power band like their other spectrum. Plus, at 3.55-3.7 GHz, it’s using precious mid-band spectrum.
But CBRS advocates say it’s a lifeline for companies like John Deere that want to operate their own private networks and provide connectivity on their properties. Hundreds of wireless ISPs across the country rely on CBRS to provide internet services to consumers in rural areas.
Federated steps up
Federated Wireless President and CEO Iyad Tarazi said on LinkedIn today that his company is ready to help folks who are using Google’s SAS and need to transition to another one.
“As the only SAS provider with a 100% nationwide sensor network covering all U.S. coastal areas, including Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories, we’re committed to supporting the long-term success of the CBRS ecosystem,” Tarazi said.