Artemis to test pCell on Dish's spectrum in San Bernardino event center

Startup Artemis has asked the FCC for permission to test an LTE wireless network using its pCell technology in an event center in San Bernardino, California. Interestingly, the test will run over Dish Network's licensed 3.5GHz CBRS spectrum holdings.

Artemis argues that its pCell technology provides 10x the capacity of traditional LTE/5G networks, in part by using advanced spectrum interference management.

"The proposed spectrum is licensed by Dish Wireless, who has given Rearden [the company behind Artemis] permission to use the spectrum during the requested period of time for these experiments," the startup wrote in its filing to the FCC.

"When experimental licenses are sought in spectrum held by some party, the license typically includes permission of the spectrum holder, and it does not indicate any relationship between the spectrum holder and the experimenter. Artemis has conducted experiments in many different bands in spectrum held by many different parties," the company wrote in response to questions from Light Reading on the topic. "We have no further comment."

Figure 1: (Source: Philipp Dimitri/Westend61 GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo)

Dish, for its part, is working to build a nationwide 5G network. The company has said that its CBRS spectrum holdings are currently intended primarily for private wireless network deployments, such as the one it recently announced with Duke University in North Carolina.

"Licensed spectrum is a key component of any solution requiring secure and reliable voice and data services, which can be used in P5G [private 5G] networks and venue-based neutral host systems. And Dish supports US technology companies working to advance wireless services for the benefits of all customers," a Dish representative wrote in response to questions from Light Reading on the topic.

It's worth noting that Artemis has been testing its pCell technology in spectrum owned by Dish for almost a decade. As FierceWireless reported in 2014, Artemis used Dish spectrum in the San Francisco Bay Area for tests. Dish also showcased Artemis' technology at its CES booth in 2017.

Artemis' new tests in San Bernardino involve up to 100 of its transmitters in the National Orange Show Event Center, a venue that spans over 120 acres and offers 150,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space. According to the center's events calendar, it has hosted a number of music concerts in the past. Upcoming events mostly include bingo games, as well as a major music festival in July.

Artemis also has recent applications at the FCC to test pCell operations in its Mountain View headquarters and in the SAP Center sports stadium in San Jose, California. Artemis recently announced a return to the public eye via a partnership with Federated Wireless and a real-world deployment at the SAP Center. Artemis made a splash in 2015 with claims that its pCell technology would make commercial 5G networks irrelevant, and is now returning with plans to target venue owners and others in the private wireless networking space.

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— Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading | @mikeddano