Key points

  • If your radios use Google's SAS, you must move them. Google stopped taking new customers on June 10, 2026 and will shut down on June 10, 2027.[5]
  • Google says to export your radio data, register the radios with another FCC-authorized SAS, and then confirm they are deregistered from Google.[5][6]
  • Two other administrators stopped serving customers before Google: CommScope in April 2023 and Amdocs in April 2025.[3][4]
  • Federated Wireless is the largest SAS by its own count. It reported handling 75% of CBRS base station radios in September 2025.[7]
  • Key Bridge is the only operating SAS we found that publishes prices. It charges $500 a month for the first 200 radios, then a monthly fee per radio.[8]

What does a SAS do for your network?

A SAS gives your CBRS radios permission to transmit, and it can tell them to stop. Every base station radio (the FCC calls it a CBSD, for Citizens Broadband Radio Service Device) must register with one.[1] A SAS is an FCC-authorized system that authorizes and manages spectrum use in CBRS.[1]

It tells each radio which channels it may use, and how much power, based on where the radio is.[1] It also protects users with higher priority: federal radar, satellite ground stations and holders of Priority Access Licenses (PALs), which are paid county licenses.[1] Under the FCC's CBRS rules (Part 96), a SAS must:

  • register each radio and check its identity and location;[1]
  • work out which channels each radio may use, and its maximum power, at its location;[1]
  • enforce the zones that protect federal sites (Exclusion Zones and Protection Zones);[1]
  • take federal-use reports from a radar-sensing network (an Environmental Sensing Capability, or ESC), and tell radios to move or stop when needed;[1]
  • protect satellite ground stations and PAL holders, including calculating each PAL's protected area (its PAL Protection Area);[1]
  • coordinate users of the open tier (General Authorized Access, or GAA) who run higher-power Category B radios;[1]
  • resolve conflicting uses of the band.[1]

Radios must obey quickly. A radio must stop transmitting, change channel or change power within 60 seconds of a SAS instruction.[1] Under the industry protocol, a radio holds each permission to transmit (a grant) by checking in with the SAS. These check-ins are called heartbeats.[9] Each grant has a transmit expiry time. If the radio gets no fresh heartbeat reply, it must stop transmitting on that grant within 60 seconds after that time.[9]

How a CBRS radio keeps permission to transmitSequence diagram between a radio (CBSD), or the domain proxy acting for it, and its SAS. Step 1: the radio registers its identity and location, and the SAS confirms that its FCC ID belongs to certified equipment. Step 2: the radio requests spectrum and receives a grant with its channels and maximum power; the grant carries a transmit expiry time. Step 3: while it transmits, the radio holds the grant through heartbeats. Step 4: when the SAS tells it to stop, change channel or lower power, the radio must do so within 60 seconds. Step 5: if no fresh heartbeat response arrives, the radio must stop transmitting on that grant within 60 seconds after the transmit expiry time.Radio (CBSD)or domain proxySAS12345on airRegistration: ID, locationRegistered · FCC ID checkedSpectrum and grant requestGrant: channel, power, expiryHeartbeatResponseHeartbeatResponseStop, move or lower power≤ 60 sHeartbeattransmit expirystop within 60 s
  1. Register. The radio, or a domain proxy acting for it, registers its identity and location. The SAS confirms that its FCC ID belongs to certified equipment.
  2. Get a grant. The radio requests spectrum. The SAS grants channels and a maximum power for that location, and the grant carries a transmit expiry time.
  3. Heartbeat. While it transmits, the radio holds its grant through heartbeats with the SAS.
  4. Follow instructions. When the SAS tells it to stop, change channel or lower power, the radio must do so within 60 seconds.
  5. Lost contact. If no fresh heartbeat response arrives, the radio must stop transmitting on that grant within 60 seconds after the transmit expiry time.

How a CBRS radio keeps permission to transmit. A SAS must confirm that a CBSD's FCC ID belongs to certified equipment before authorizing it, and a CBSD must follow a SAS instruction within 60 seconds.[1] Under the WInnForum protocol a radio holds each grant through heartbeats, and the grant's transmit expiry time sets when it must stop if responses stop arriving.[9]

Many radios, one connection. A network of radios may talk to the SAS through one system, usually called a domain proxy (example).[1][10]

Rules every SAS follows. A SAS must confirm that a radio's FCC ID belongs to certified equipment before it authorizes the radio. It must assign channels without discriminating between users.[1] It may not publish a specific radio's registration without the registrant's permission.[1] In 2024 the FCC clarified that NTIA (the National Telecommunications and Information Administration) and the Department of Defense can obtain that registration data.[11]

Cost and term. Each administrator may charge users a reasonable fee, which the FCC can review.[1] The FCC certifies each administrator for a five-year term that it may renew.[1]

Which SAS administrators are active in October 2026?

Six administrators operate, by the FCC's count in March 2026.[2] Not all of them take new customers. Google stopped taking them on June 10, 2026.[5] Nokia and Sony were named as alternatives in June 2026 trade press, but we found no SAS product page for either.[12]

FCC status comes from FCC public notices. Commercial status is what we could confirm from company pages and trade press on October 1, 2026. Where we could not confirm it, the table says so.

CBRS SAS administrators: FCC status and commercial status as of October 1, 2026
AdministratorFCC statusCommercial status as of Oct 2026Source
Federated WirelessCertified January 27, 2020; renewed through January 27, 2030Operating. Its CBRS product page, updated September 15, 2026, invites migration inquiries.FCC DA 20-110 and DA 25-131; Federated Wireless[13][3][14]
GoogleCertified January 27, 2020; renewed through January 27, 2030Winding down. No new customers since June 10, 2026; shutdown June 10, 2027.FCC DA 25-131; Google Cloud[3][5]
SonyCertified January 27, 2020; renewed through January 27, 2030Named as an alternative provider in June 2026 trade press. Unverified: we found no Sony SAS product page.FCC DA 25-131; SDxCentral[3][12]
Key Bridge WirelessCertified March 9, 2021; renewed through March 9, 2031Operating. Publishes pricing and a self-service CBRS portal.FCC DA 26-280; Key Bridge[2][8]
RED TechnologiesCertified September 22, 2023, for a five-year termOperating. Its U.S. site (undated) says its SAS is available across the United States.FCC DA 23-893; RED Technologies[15][16]
NokiaCertified December 15, 2025, for a five-year termNamed as an alternative provider in June 2026 trade press. Unverified: we found no Nokia SAS product page.FCC DA 25-1057; SDxCentral[17][12]
ANDREW, an Amphenol company (formerly CommScope)Certified January 27, 2020; renewed through January 27, 2030Not providing SAS service. CommScope stopped on April 1, 2023; ANDREW must ask the FCC at least 30 days before resuming. We found no announcement that it has.FCC DA 25-131[3]
AmdocsCertified April 21, 2020; did not renewExited. SAS service ended April 21, 2025; Amdocs said it would transfer registered radios to other administrators.Light Reading; Rural Spectrum Scanner[18][4]
FairspectrumConditionally approved May 7, 2021, which does not authorize commercial serviceNo FCC certification for commercial service found.FCC DA 21-538[19]
Renewal end dates are from the FCC notices. RED's and Nokia's terms run five years from the certification dates shown.[15][17]
How we got to six

The FCC's March 2026 notice says it has certified eight SAS administrators and six still operate. It does not name them.[2] The eight are the four certified in January 2020, plus Amdocs, Key Bridge, RED and Nokia.[3][17] ANDREW is not providing service, and Amdocs did not renew. So the six operating are the other six. Google is among them until June 10, 2027.[5]

Eight certified SAS administrators, six operating. Certification dates and terms are from FCC notices.[3][2][15][17] Amdocs's exit is as Rural Spectrum Scanner reported it,[4] and Google's dates are Google's.[5] The bars show certification terms, not market share.

Google's SAS shutdown: dates and what Google says

If your radios use Google's SAS, you have until June 10, 2027 to move them. Until then, Google says the service stays fully operational for existing deployments.[5]

Google was one of the first four SAS administrators, certified on January 27, 2020.[13] In February 2025 the FCC renewed its certification through January 27, 2030.[3] In June 2026 Google announced it would retire the service anyway.[5][7]

Google SAS retirement: what Google says
ItemGoogle's statement
New customersNot accepted since June 10, 2026; new network registrations are disabled[5]
ShutdownJune 10, 2027[5]
Until shutdownFully operational for existing deployments, including power (EIRP) optimization, channel guidance and Google's ESC sensor network[5]
BillingExisting deployments billed at their current pay-as-you-go rates until end of life[5]
Data exportNetwork data and radio configurations can be exported at any time through the SAS Portal API[5][6]
Where to goGoogle links to the Wireless Innovation Forum's list of FCC-authorized SAS administrators[6]
After migratingCheck in the SAS Portal that your radios have been deregistered[5]

Google's documentation says it is leaving the business to focus its engineering on other Google Cloud work.[6] Federated Wireless's CEO invited Google customers to move to Federated.[12] The CEO said the company had already migrated more than 180,000 devices.[12]

Market share. These figures come from Federated, not the FCC. In April 2025 Federated estimated its share of the SAS market at about 60%, and Google's at about 35%.[18] Federated reported handling 75% of base station radios in September 2025.[7] Fierce Network reported 83% in June 2026.[7]

How to move off Google's SAS: a checklist

Start well before the deadline, and keep each radio's time offline short. Google's instructions cover exporting data and deregistering. The other steps come from the FCC's rules and the industry SAS standards from the Wireless Innovation Forum (WInnForum). Your new SAS and equipment vendor set the exact procedure.

  1. Set a deadline well before June 10, 2027

    Google shuts down on June 10, 2027, and you can move at any time before then.[5][6] Assign an owner and list every site and radio on the account.

  2. Export your inventory

    Google says to use its SAS Portal API, a programming interface to its portal.[6] You turn it on in a Google Cloud project, with a service account added as an administrator in the SAS Portal.[6] For each radio, record what the FCC's rules require at registration.[1] That means location, antenna height above ground, radio category, FCC ID, call sign, technology (air interface) and serial number.[1] Add indoor or outdoor status for lower-power Category A radios. For Category B radios, add antenna gain, beamwidth, azimuth and downtilt.[1]

  3. Collect installer records

    Category B radios, and Category A radios that cannot locate themselves, must be installed by a Certified Professional Installer (CPI).[1][10] Ask the new SAS what CPI data it needs. Check with your CPIs that their certifications are current. The organizations that run CPI training programs keep CPI records.[20]

  4. PAL holders: keep your protection and leases

    A PAL is protected only around the holder's registered radios that are in use (its PAL Protection Area).[1] A radio out of contact with its SAS for seven days drops out of that calculation.[1] Plan the cutover so radios are not offline that long. A PAL holder must notify a SAS before a company leasing the PAL (a spectrum-manager lessee) may operate.[15] Confirm your lease notifications on the new SAS.

  5. Choose the new SAS

    Use the factors in the next section. In 3550–3650 MHz, a SAS authorizes radios using federal-use information from an approved ESC.[1] Confirm that the new SAS's ESC arrangement covers your sites.

  6. Point the radios or domain proxy to the new SAS

    The steps differ by vendor, so get them from your radio or domain proxy vendor. The industry protocol does not set how a radio learns its SAS address.[9]

  7. Register, get grants and verify

    Each radio registers with the new SAS, asks for spectrum and holds its grant through heartbeats.[9] Expect channel and power assignments to change, since each SAS makes its own assignments within the rules.[1] Test during a maintenance window.

  8. Close out Google

    Confirm in the Google SAS Portal that your radios show as deregistered, as Google instructs.[5] Ask Google support how billing ends for your account.

How to choose a SAS

Every certified SAS must follow the same FCC rules. So the differences are in coverage, support, tools and price.

Factors for choosing a CBRS SAS
FactorWhy it mattersWhat the public record shows
Certification and staying powerOnly a certified SAS may authorize radios, and three administrators have left, paused service or announced an exitSee the status table; terms run five years and need renewal[1][3]
Areas coveredCertifications list the areas coveredNokia is certified for the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Guam; Federated, Google and Sony are approved for American Samoa[17][3]
Radar sensor network (ESC)Category B and coastal operation depend on ESC informationFederated and Google describe their own ESC networks; Key Bridge's ESC was approved in 2020, and RED is approved to use it[14][5][21][15]
2024 federal protection modelThe newer model shrinks the areas near federal radar zones where radios may be paused, and suspends fewer grantsFederated, Google, Key Bridge, RED and Sony were approved to use it in July 2024; Nokia submitted documentation showing it can implement it[22][17]
PAL leasing supportPAL leases (spectrum-manager leases) need SAS supportAmdocs, Federated, Google, Key Bridge and Sony were approved in 2022, RED in 2023 and Nokia in 2025[3][15][17]
Fit with your equipmentThe interface is standardized, but integration varies by vendorAsk your radio or domain proxy vendor which SASs it supports[9]
Price and contractFees must be reasonable and can be reviewed by the FCCKey Bridge publishes prices; Google bills pay-as-you-go without listing rates on its retirement page; we found no published prices for the others[1][8][5]
Support and uptimeA radio stops transmitting if its grant lapsesFederated advertises a 24x7 network operations center and five-nines SLAs; Key Bridge advertises 99.986% uptime with an SLA (company claims)[14][8][9]

Published pricing. Key Bridge lists a flat $500 a month for the first 200 radios of any type, including SAS and ESC services.[8] Above 200 radios, each radio access point costs $5 a month.[8] Each customer radio costs $1 a month, or $2 where ESC coverage is needed.[8] Billing is month to month.[8] Prices are as shown on Key Bridge's site on October 1, 2026.

Features differ. Federated says its SAS supports relaxed grant expiry times and PALs that cross counties or SASs.[14] It also says it can re-register unchanged radios even when CPI credentials have expired.[14]

What happened when other SAS administrators left?

What it means for Google customers. Google's published instructions ask customers to export their data and move it themselves.[5] Part 96 does have a handover rule, for an administrator that does not continue at the end of its term.[1] Such an administrator must securely hand its data and list of registered radios to another approved entity, for a reasonable price.[1] Google's exit comes partway through its renewed term.[3]

CommScope. CommScope stopped SAS operations on April 1, 2023 but kept its certification.[3] On February 3, 2025, Amphenol completed its purchase of the CommScope unit that included the SAS business, now called ANDREW.[3] The FCC renewed ANDREW's certification through January 27, 2030.[3] But it noted that ANDREW was not providing SAS service, and must ask the FCC at least 30 days before resuming.[3]

Amdocs. Amdocs was certified on April 21, 2020.[3] It did not submit a test report for the 2024 federal protection model.[22] In April 2025 it told Light Reading it would not renew. It said it would stay in CBRS as a systems integrator.[18] Rural Spectrum Scanner reported that its SAS service ended on April 21, 2025.[4] The same report said Amdocs would transfer registered radios to other administrators by that date.[4]

What could change next?

The rules could change, but no change has been adopted yet. The FCC's 2024 CBRS proposal, FCC 24-86, would write the three kinds of Dynamic Protection Area (DPA) into Part 96.[11] DPAs are zones around federal radar, and the proposal would require every SAS to protect them.[11] It also asks about SAS outages, installer rules and higher-power radio classes.[11]

As of October 1, 2026, the FCC had adopted no order. The Technology Policy Institute described the proceeding as open with no order in February 2026.[23] Our CBRS guide tracks it.

SAS certifications also come up for renewal. The table shows when each current term ends.

When current SAS certifications come up for renewal
AdministratorCurrent term ends
Federated Wireless, Google, Sony, ANDREWJanuary 27, 2030[3]
Key Bridge WirelessMarch 9, 2031[2]
RED TechnologiesFive years from September 22, 2023[15]
NokiaFive years from December 15, 2025[17]
Google's service ends June 10, 2027, before its term does.[5]

The CBRS map shows which DPAs and PAL holders affect a site. It is planning context; only a SAS can authorize a radio.

For engineers: rule and protocol references

The SAS functions listed above are set out in 47 CFR §96.53.[1] The SAS–CBSD interface is specified in WINNF-TS-0016.[9] Each SAS connection uses mutual TLS authentication.[9] The SAS address is provisioned to CBSDs and domain proxies by a method outside the WInnForum protocol.[9]

Registration data a CPI enters carries the CPI's registration ID and is signed with the CPI's private key.[10][9]

Common questions

What is a Spectrum Access System (SAS)?

A SAS is an FCC-authorized system that registers CBRS base station radios and assigns their channels and power by location.[1] It also protects higher-priority users, such as Navy radar and PAL holders. Every radio must be authorized by a SAS before it transmits.[1]

How many CBRS SAS administrators are there?

The FCC has certified eight and said in March 2026 that six still operate.[2] By our reading, those are Federated Wireless, Google, Key Bridge Wireless, Nokia, RED Technologies and Sony. Google is shutting down on June 10, 2027.[5]

When does Google SAS shut down?

Google stopped accepting new customers on June 10, 2026. It will shut the service down on June 10, 2027.[5] Until then, existing deployments keep full service, including Google's ESC sensor network.[5]

How much does a CBRS SAS cost?

The FCC's rules let administrators charge a reasonable fee, which the FCC can review.[1] Key Bridge publishes $500 a month for the first 200 radios, and $1 to $5 per radio per month above that.[8] We found no published prices from the other operating administrators.

Will switching SAS affect my PAL protection?

Your PAL is an FCC license, and every SAS must calculate PAL Protection Areas the same way.[1] The protected area is built from your registered radios that are in use. A radio out of contact with a SAS for seven days drops out of it, so avoid long gaps during the move.[1]

What happens if my radio loses its SAS connection?

Each grant has a transmit expiry time. If the radio does not get a fresh heartbeat reply before the grant expires, it must stop transmitting on that grant within 60 seconds.[9] The FCC's 2024 proposal asks whether to change the rules on SAS outages, but no order has been adopted.[11][23]

You have finished the reading path

Put it to work

Turn what you have read into a brief you can share with your team or a supplier, or check the CBRS rules for a location.

Build a project briefOpen the CBRS mapAll guides

Sources

  1. 47 CFR Part 96, Citizens Broadband Radio Service (eCFR, up to date as of September 30, 2026) — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives), Sep 30, 2026. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  2. WTB and OET Announce Certification Renewal for Spectrum Access System Administrator Key Bridge Wireless LLC (DA 26-280) — Federal Communications Commission, Mar 23, 2026. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  3. WTB and OET Announce Four Spectrum Access System Administrator Certification Renewals (DA 25-131) — Federal Communications Commission, Feb 13, 2025. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  4. Amdocs Will No Longer Serve as a SAS Administrator — Rural Spectrum Scanner, Apr 9, 2025. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  5. Spectrum Access System (SAS) retirement notice — Google Cloud. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  6. Spectrum Access System has been deprecated (migration instructions) — Google Cloud Documentation, Sep 30, 2026. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  7. Google Exiting CBRS Spectrum Management — Broadband Breakfast, Jun 12, 2026. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  8. Key Bridge Wireless: CBRS SAS pricing and service — Key Bridge Wireless. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  9. Signaling Protocols and Procedures for CBRS: SAS–CBSD Interface Technical Specification (WINNF-TS-0016, V1.2.7) — Wireless Innovation Forum, Mar 21, 2022. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  10. Requirements for Commercial Operation in the U.S. 3550-3700 MHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service Band (WINNF-TS-0112, V1.9.2) — Wireless Innovation Forum, Mar 29, 2024. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  11. Promoting Investment in the 3550-3700 MHz Band, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Declaratory Ruling (FCC 24-86) — Federal Communications Commission, Aug 16, 2024. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  12. Google set to shutter CBRS SAS management service — SDxCentral, Jun 11, 2026. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  13. WTB and OET Approve Four Spectrum Access System Administrators for Full Scale Commercial Deployment in the 3.5 GHz Band (DA 20-110) — Federal Communications Commission, Jan 27, 2020. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  14. CBRS Spectrum Controller: High-Availability SAS — Federated Wireless, Sep 15, 2026. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  15. WTB and OET Approve Spectrum Access System Administrator RED Technologies for Full Scale Commercial Deployment, to Support Spectrum Manager Leasing, and to Use Key Bridge Wireless LLC's ESC (DA 23-893) — Federal Communications Commission, Sep 22, 2023. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  16. CBRS | RED Technologies | SAS administrator — RED Technologies. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  17. WTB and OET Approve Spectrum Access System Administrator Nokia for Full Scale Commercial Deployment in the 3.5 GHz Band and to Support Spectrum Manager Leasing (DA 25-1057) — Federal Communications Commission, Dec 15, 2025. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  18. Amdocs retires SAS business for CBRS networks — Light Reading, Apr 25, 2025. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  19. WTB and OET Conditionally Approve Three Spectrum Access System Administrators for the 3.5 GHz Band (DA 21-538) — Federal Communications Commission, May 7, 2021. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  20. CBRS Certified Professional Installer Accreditation Technical Specification (WINNF-TS-0247, V1.7.0) — Wireless Innovation Forum, Apr 19, 2024. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  21. WTB and OET Announce the Approval of an Additional Environmental Sensing Capability for the 3.5 GHz Band (DA 20-735) — Federal Communications Commission, Jul 14, 2020. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  22. WTB and OET Approve Certified SAS Administrators to Use Modified Aggregate Interference Model (DA 24-643) — Federal Communications Commission, Jul 3, 2024. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  23. CBRS in 2026: What Have We Learned? Panel Recap — Technology Policy Institute, Feb 11, 2026. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.