Federated Wireless

In 2012, the wireless world faced a looming crisis: a spectrum crunch. With the explosion of mobile devices, the airwaves were getting crowded. This is the environment in which Federated Wireless was founded by a team of visionaries: Dr. Charles Clancy, Dr. Robert J. McGwier, and Joseph Mitola III. They saw an opportunity in a band of spectrum used by the U.S. Navy for radar systems – the 3.5 GHz band, also known as the Citizens Broadband Radio Service or CBRS. The core idea was groundbreaking yet simple: create a system to share this valuable, underutilized spectrum. Federated Wireless developed a software-defined, cloud-based Spectrum Access System (SAS). This technology acts as a dynamic traffic cop for the airwaves, allowing commercial users to access the CBRS band without interfering with the incumbent naval radar operations. This unlocked a massive new resource for private 4G and 5G networks for enterprises, venues, and industrial settings. A pivotal moment came in September 2019 when the FCC authorized full commercial deployment of the CBRS band. This regulatory green light was the culmination of years of development and advocacy, validating the company's entire business model. Federated Wireless was among the first to receive this certification for its SAS. With the market now open, the company secured significant funding to scale its operations. A major milestone was its $58 million Series D funding round in 2021, led by an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management. This capital injection fueled the expansion of its network and partnerships, solidifying its position as a key enabler of private wireless and the broader 5G ecosystem.