Traditional wired infrastructure requires a substantial capital investment, including fiber construction, lengthy permitting processes, and expensive spectrum licenses. Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) technology changed this calculus entirely. Access to affordable, high-speed internet is a fundamental issue of equity and inclusion for many communities. With CBRS, BTI Wireless and PCs for People are bringing carrier-grade connectivity to underserved communities—without expensive spectrum licenses or heavy infrastructure builds.
Key highlights of the solution include:

● Rapid, Cost-Effective Expansion 
● Sustainable Economics
● Carrier-Grade Quality
● Technology Validation
● Replicable Model

Want to see how we made it happen? Check out the full case study.

CUSTOMER

• ➤ PCs for People - Since 1998, PCs for People has worked to bridge the digital divide by providing affordable internet access to underserved communities.

PRODUCT

• ➤ BTI Wireless - Outdoor base stations, 5G/LTE radios, and CPE.

SOLUTION
➤ By leveraging shared spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band, CBRS fundamentally disrupts traditional broadband economics, eliminating the two largest cost barriers: spectrum licensing fees and infrastructure construction expenses.
➤ CBRS solved the impossible equation: delivering carrier-grade broadband to low-income households at sustainable pricing while maintaining quality service.

BACKGROUND

Traditional wired infrastructure requires a substantial capital investment, including fiber construction, lengthy permitting processes, and expensive spectrum licenses. The challenge intensified when the Affordable Connectivity Program ended in April 2024, leaving millions of families facing full internet costs. PCs for People needed a solution that could deliver carrier-grade service at prices low-income households could actually afford—without depending on federal subsidies that might disappear.

MULTI-CITY DEPLOYMENT

To implement the CBRS solution across five metropolitan areas - Cleveland, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis - PCs for People selected BTI Wireless to provide OnGocertified infrastructure, including outdoor base stations, 5G/LTE radios delivering speeds of up to 100 Mbps, and customer-premise equipment. Working with housing authorities and community organizations in each city, they strategically located base stations to 
maximize coverage in priority neighborhoods.
The service model combines a one-time modem purchase ($60-90) with $15/month prepaid service - no credit checks, no hidden fees, unlimited data, and comprehensive technical support.

This deployment proves CBRS technology has fundamentally changed what’s possible in digital equity work. For the first time, nonprofits can deploy carrier-grade wireless networks without prohibitive spectrum and infrastructure costs.
With BTI Wireless, PCs for People’s success across five metropolitan areas demonstrates that the CBRS model works at scale. Families now access high-speed broadband for a sustainable price that wouldn’t be possible without CBRS’s shared spectrum approach.
For organizations working to close connectivity gaps, this case study demonstrates that CBRS-powered fixed wireless access offers a practical, affordable, and scalable solution. The five-city deployment provides proof of concept and a replicable model for extending affordable broadband to underserved communities across the nation.

Download the PDF Case Study