SOURCEOrganization
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Living Edge Lab
JMA Wireless ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: News article, first paragraphChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated
Reported deployment
Reported university campus network in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A JMA Wireless case study; outcomes are vendor-reported and not independent measurements.
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- Organization
- Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Living Edge Lab
- Industry
- Higher Education
- Region
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Current operating status
- Completed
- Not stated by sources
- Project date
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Overview
Carnegie Mellon University's Living Edge Lab, an edge-computing research group in Pittsburgh, brought a private LTE network in CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) spectrum into service in mid-June 2021, replacing an earlier experimental network.[1] JMA Wireless supplied its XRAN virtualized RAN software and outdoor CBRS radios, a Druid Software core ran on AWS Snowball Edge, and Crown Castle deployed the antennas and fiber; JMA announced completion on September 1, 2021.[2] The lab built the network to study how network latency affects edge-native applications, after finding that commercial networks fell short for many latency-sensitive applications and were hard to see inside.[1][3] In January 2025 the lab said the campus LTE network was still in use and that its packet core had been moved to the open-source Magma platform.[3]
At a glance
- Organization
- Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Living Edge Lab.[2]
- Location
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: much of the outdoor main campus, the Schenley Plaza public park and a shopping district on Walnut Street.[1][2]
- Date reported
- In service mid-June 2021; announced by CMU on July 21, 2021 and by JMA on September 1, 2021.[1][2]
- Spectrum
- CBRS. CMU says the upgrade was planned once General Authorized Access (GAA) CBRS spectrum and devices became available; Federated Wireless provided the Spectrum Access System (SAS) service.[1]
- Technology
- 4G LTE. JMA's 4G/5G virtualized RAN ran on an off-the-shelf Dell/Intel server, with the evolved packet core (EPC) on AWS Snowball Edge in the lab's data center.[1][4]
- Scale as reported
- Four outdoor cell sites using JMA CBRS Cell Hubs with directional antennas, connected over Crown Castle fiber.[1]
- Vendors and roles
- JMA Wireless: XRAN software, Cell Hub radios and antennas; Druid Software: core; AWS: Snowball Edge compute; Federated Wireless: SAS.[2][1]
- Integrator
- JMA and AWS designed the network; Crown Castle deployed the antennas and provided fiber.[2][4]
- Status
- In use as of January 2025, when CMU said it had upgraded the campus LTE packet core to the open-source Magma v1.9 release.[3]
How the network is used
- Edge-computing research, student projects and industry collaborations on a campus network the lab can inspect and tune (campus and in-building).[1][3]
- Benchmarking latency-sensitive edge applications such as the lab's OpenRTiST application.[1]
- A test environment for deploying edge applications on AWS Snowball Edge.[2]
Reported results
As reported by the sources below; not independently verified.
- CMU reported mean latency of 30–35 ms (5–8 ms standard deviation), 60–80 Mbps download and 15–25 Mbps upload in July 2021.[1]
- CMU said OpenRTiST ran at about 75 ms round trip and 26 frames per second, not as good as Wi-Fi but better than commercial 4G LTE.[1]
- CMU said the network was built and commissioned in less than three months.[1][4]
- In January 2025 CMU said the network had become a cornerstone of the lab's research, and that its newer 5G network at Mill 19 reaches 10–15 ms round trip versus 30–40 ms on the campus LTE network.[3]
Timeline
CMU reports a separate private 5G network at Mill 19 and an upgrade of the campus LTE packet core to Magma v1.9.[3]
JMA Wireless announces completion of the network.[2]
CMU announces the new Living Edge Lab wireless network.[1]
The CBRS network enters service in mid-June.[1]
In late 2020 the lab and partners plan an upgrade to CBRS.[1]
The lab builds its first private LTE network with Crown Castle and DT: three outdoor sites on an experimental 3.5 GHz Band 42 license.[1]
How to interpret this record
This record keeps the source's anonymous customer label and reported status. A case study does not establish current operation, reproducible performance, or independent verification.
Learn more
- Private 5G networks explained: what they are, how they work, what they cost and who sells themA plain-English guide to private 5G: what it is, the parts you need, CBRS spectrum, ways to deploy, cost drivers and U.S. examples.
- Private LTE networks: what they are and how to set one upWhat a private LTE network is, why most private networks still use LTE, the CBRS spectrum and equipment you need, and how to set one up.
- Private LTE vs private 5G: which one do you need?Private LTE or private 5G? The real differences, which devices work, what affects cost, and how to move from LTE to 5G later.
- How much does a private LTE or 5G network cost?What a private LTE or 5G network costs: three example budgets from about $10,000, what you pay for, CBRS and SAS fees, and ongoing costs.
Sources
Researched Oct 1, 2026. Manufacturer and vendor statements are their claims, not independent tests.
- The Quest for Lower Latency: Announcing the New Living Edge Lab Wireless Network — Carnegie Mellon University Living Edge Lab, Jul 21, 2021. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
- JMA Wireless, Running on AWS, to Provide New Campus Private Wireless Network to Carnegie Mellon — JMA Wireless, Sep 1, 2021. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
- Unlocking Edge Computing in the new Living Edge Lab 5G Network — Carnegie Mellon University Living Edge Lab, Jan 3, 2025. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
- JMA Wireless, AWS complete private CBRS network for Carnegie Mellon lab (excerpt of Fierce Wireless article) — Carnegie Mellon University Living Edge Lab, Sep 2, 2021. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
Every detail in the table at the top comes from these sources. Open the source details for each fact’s publisher, evidence type, date, and where it appears.
Source details (6)
SOURCEIndustry
Higher Education
JMA Wireless ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: Category tags above headlineChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated
SOURCERegion
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
JMA Wireless ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: News article, third paragraphChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated
SOURCEOperating status
completed
JMA Wireless ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: News article, first paragraphChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated
SOURCEReported use case
edge computing research (Living Edge Lab)
JMA Wireless ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: Summary bullets under headlineChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated
SOURCEVendors Named
JMA Wireless; Amazon Web Services (AWS); Druid Software · Crown Castle
JMA Wireless ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: News article, second paragraph / News article, second paragraphChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated