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FreedomFi CBRS 5G Questions
The FreedomFi Gateway supports up to 3 CBRS small cells by plugging them into the eNB1, eNB2, and eNB3 ports.
Once you have connected your CBRS radios plugged into the eNB ports and individually registered, you can refer back to your local dashboard, which can be found at: http://freedomfi-gateway.local/ and navigate to your radio dashboard by clicking on “Radio Dashboard”.
Once you are at your Radio Dashboard, you should see all of your connected small cell radios, as per the example below with 2 radios:
Notice: The throughput of all the radios combined is limited to 1 Gbps or your internet speed, whichever is lower.
Your FreedomFi CBRS Indoor Small Cell bundle includes credit to access the GigSky US Wireless Network.
Please check your email which you’ve used to purchase Small Cell for an email from GigSky, which was sent 3-5 days after the purchase was completed. The email came from [email protected] and it should contain a link providing you access to a GigSky 60-day “US Helium” plan ($59.99 value) via a personalized URL.
If you have any questions or can’t locate the GigSky invite, please email [email protected] to reach GigSky Customer Service and ask them to resend it.
The outdoor cells are available to order. Please visit link below to place your order:
You can check the technical details of the FreedomFi 5G Gateway directly on our website at https://freedomfi.com/freedomfi-gateway
Yes, FreedomFi SIM card bundles are available for purchase here.
No. the Indoor cellular antenna provided in this bundle is considered a Category A CBRS device, which does not require CPI certification, provided it can get a GPS lock. Your cellular antenna will have a built-in GPS receiver and comes with an external GPS antenna and an extension cord. When installing the small cell at an indoor location with no GPS reception, use the GPS antenna extension cord to locate the antenna where it will have GPS reception e.g. near a window. Review installation instructions for more details.
The range can be expected to be about 2x-3x further than your standard 5Ghz Wi-Fi access point.
Hotspot HNT earnings are dependent on several variables such as terrain, elevation, number of witnesses & reward scaling. However, even if two hotspots had all of these variables the same, the rewards on the two hotspots would differ due to factors such as frequency of beaconing. Rewards can rarely be compared between hotspots for the reasons listed above. Rewards should be viewed over a more extended period as short term variability should be expected. There is extensive discussion about hotspots in the Helium Discord.
Development is ongoing on support for Wi-Fi and will be announced when it is ready. .
You can geek out on CBRS here, you can also read about building your own cellular network here. Or you can just watch our goat video =).
Only certified “Powered by FreedomFi” CBRS small cell cellular radios will work with the Helium 5G network. FreedomFi has worked with Baicells and Mosolabs to create an easy plug-and-play setup process. Powered by FreedomFi CBRS small cells are available for purchase from the FreedomFi online store as well as from partners.
The Helium team is still developing the proof-of-coverage rewards system for the Helium 5G network. During the initial Mobile Genesis period (until POC rolls out), MOBILE token earnings are based on the heartbeat and connection tests of CBRS small cells registered to the network. Stay tuned for more POC details.
Yes. For the FreedomFi CBRS Indoor Small Cell to start radiating signal it will need to get a GPS lock. There are several free phone apps you can download to check GPS reception at a particular location, which we recommend you do ahead of time. Your indoor small cell will have a built-in GPS receiver and will also come with the additional, external GPS extension cord ~6ft long which you can stretch towards the window or mount outdoors.
No. Only cellular devices that use data plans from the Helium 5G roaming partners, such as FreedomFi, GigSky and Dish Wireless will have the ability to connect to and benefit from the small cell you deploy. Just like the Helium LoRa network that has been growing the number of its LoRa users over time, Helium 5G network will grow the number of Helium 5G roaming partners over time.
Coverage for CBRS radios is much shorter range than LoRa. Ballpark, indoor CBRS radios will have ~3x coverage of an enterprise Wi-Fi access point. Outdoor radios with sector antennas will go ~5-7 miles in line-of-sight conditions. In no-light-of-sight (NLOS) conditions, coverage will be reduced dramatically because CBRS frequency band is 3.5-3.7Ghz and doesn’t go through walls or trees very well.
12 months following the activation of your FreedomFi CBRS Indoor Small Cell you will have to pay a recurring fee of $5/month for as long as you keep your indoor small cell active. Per mandate from the FCC, operators of CBRS cellular devices are required to pay a recurring fee to spectrum access server operators. Cost of the first year is on us.
No, indoor cellular small cells are designed exclusively to be installed indoors and, unlike the FreedomFi 5G Gateway itself, cannot be installed outdoors inside an IP-rated enclosure. For outdoor installation, the FCC requires an outdoor certified small cell with CPI (Certified Professional Installer) verification.
No. FreedomFi Gateway will only work with certified CBRS radios. Cellular radios come in many flavors and have a million knobs and settings. The only way for us to ensure consistent operation and security across all deployments is to only allow pre-certified radios with verified firmware presets.
If you are interested in experimenting with CBRS, we encourage you to purchase a non-Helium compatible FreedomFi gateway and a CBRS bring-up session and we’ll walk you through setting up your own radio for your own network.
The best locations are indoor public venues such as shopping malls, hotels, stadiums, hospitals, airports, university campuses, convention centers or businesses with many people and poor cellular coverage.
Unlike LoRa hotspots, indoor small cells will cover roughly 3x the area of Wi-Fi vs. going for miles. If you put an indoor small cell inside of your own house, not too many people will be able to connect to it.
GigSky and Dish Wireless will have the ability to connect to and benefit from the small cell you deploy.
The FreedomFi Gateway supports up to 3 CBRS small cells by plugging them into the eNB1, eNB2, and eNB3 ports.
Once you have connected your CBRS radios plugged into the eNB ports and individually registered, you can refer back to your local dashboard, which can be found at: http://freedomfi-gateway.local/ and navigate to your radio dashboard by clicking on “Radio Dashboard”.
Once you are at your Radio Dashboard, you should see all of your connected small cell radios, as per the example below with 2 radios:
Notice: The throughput of all the radios combined is limited to 1 Gbps or your internet speed, whichever is lower.
Your FreedomFi CBRS Indoor Small Cell bundle includes credit to access the GigSky US Wireless Network.
Please check your email which you’ve used to purchase Small Cell for an email from GigSky, which was sent 3-5 days after the purchase was completed. The email came from [email protected] and it should contain a link providing you access to a GigSky 60-day “US Helium” plan ($59.99 value) via a personalized URL.
If you have any questions or can’t locate the GigSky invite, please email [email protected] to reach GigSky Customer Service and ask them to resend it.
The outdoor cells are available to order. Please visit link below to place your order:
You can check the technical details of the FreedomFi 5G Gateway directly on our website at https://freedomfi.com/freedomfi-gateway
Yes, FreedomFi SIM card bundles are available for purchase here.
No. the Indoor cellular antenna provided in this bundle is considered a Category A CBRS device, which does not require CPI certification, provided it can get a GPS lock. Your cellular antenna will have a built-in GPS receiver and comes with an external GPS antenna and an extension cord. When installing the small cell at an indoor location with no GPS reception, use the GPS antenna extension cord to locate the antenna where it will have GPS reception e.g. near a window. Review installation instructions for more details.
The range can be expected to be about 2x-3x further than your standard 5Ghz Wi-Fi access point.
Hotspot HNT earnings are dependent on several variables such as terrain, elevation, number of witnesses & reward scaling. However, even if two hotspots had all of these variables the same, the rewards on the two hotspots would differ due to factors such as frequency of beaconing. Rewards can rarely be compared between hotspots for the reasons listed above. Rewards should be viewed over a more extended period as short term variability should be expected. There is extensive discussion about hotspots in the Helium Discord.
Development is ongoing on support for Wi-Fi and will be announced when it is ready. .
You can geek out on CBRS here, you can also read about building your own cellular network here. Or you can just watch our goat video =).
Only certified “Powered by FreedomFi” CBRS small cell cellular radios will work with the Helium 5G network. FreedomFi has worked with Baicells and Mosolabs to create an easy plug-and-play setup process. Powered by FreedomFi CBRS small cells are available for purchase from the FreedomFi online store as well as from partners.
The Helium team is still developing the proof-of-coverage rewards system for the Helium 5G network. During the initial Mobile Genesis period (until POC rolls out), MOBILE token earnings are based on the heartbeat and connection tests of CBRS small cells registered to the network. Stay tuned for more POC details.
Yes. For the FreedomFi CBRS Indoor Small Cell to start radiating signal it will need to get a GPS lock. There are several free phone apps you can download to check GPS reception at a particular location, which we recommend you do ahead of time. Your indoor small cell will have a built-in GPS receiver and will also come with the additional, external GPS extension cord ~6ft long which you can stretch towards the window or mount outdoors.
No. Only cellular devices that use data plans from the Helium 5G roaming partners, such as FreedomFi, GigSky and Dish Wireless will have the ability to connect to and benefit from the small cell you deploy. Just like the Helium LoRa network that has been growing the number of its LoRa users over time, Helium 5G network will grow the number of Helium 5G roaming partners over time.
Coverage for CBRS radios is much shorter range than LoRa. Ballpark, indoor CBRS radios will have ~3x coverage of an enterprise Wi-Fi access point. Outdoor radios with sector antennas will go ~5-7 miles in line-of-sight conditions. In no-light-of-sight (NLOS) conditions, coverage will be reduced dramatically because CBRS frequency band is 3.5-3.7Ghz and doesn’t go through walls or trees very well.
12 months following the activation of your FreedomFi CBRS Indoor Small Cell you will have to pay a recurring fee of $5/month for as long as you keep your indoor small cell active. Per mandate from the FCC, operators of CBRS cellular devices are required to pay a recurring fee to spectrum access server operators. Cost of the first year is on us.
No, indoor cellular small cells are designed exclusively to be installed indoors and, unlike the FreedomFi 5G Gateway itself, cannot be installed outdoors inside an IP-rated enclosure. For outdoor installation, the FCC requires an outdoor certified small cell with CPI (Certified Professional Installer) verification.
No. FreedomFi Gateway will only work with certified CBRS radios. Cellular radios come in many flavors and have a million knobs and settings. The only way for us to ensure consistent operation and security across all deployments is to only allow pre-certified radios with verified firmware presets.
If you are interested in experimenting with CBRS, we encourage you to purchase a non-Helium compatible FreedomFi gateway and a CBRS bring-up session and we’ll walk you through setting up your own radio for your own network.
The best locations are indoor public venues such as shopping malls, hotels, stadiums, hospitals, airports, university campuses, convention centers or businesses with many people and poor cellular coverage.
Unlike LoRa hotspots, indoor small cells will cover roughly 3x the area of Wi-Fi vs. going for miles. If you put an indoor small cell inside of your own house, not too many people will be able to connect to it.
GigSky and Dish Wireless will have the ability to connect to and benefit from the small cell you deploy.