Licensed Spectrum for Commercial Wireless Networks Generates More Than $400 Billion in Annual Economic Activity for America

Spectrum licensed to US wireless carriers generates more than $400 billion annually in economic activity, according to a report issued by the Brattle Group and prepared for CTIA-The Wireless Association. The $400 billion figure includes direct and indirect economic impact generated by the mobile carriers, but excludes billions more in economic benefits produced by mobile health, mobile education, the app economy and other sectors that use licensed spectrum as a platform for their own business models, according to the report, Mobile Broadband Spectrum: A Vital Resource for the American Economy.

“Licensed spectrum is vital to the mobile industry and to our nation’s economy,” said Meredith Attwell Baker, President and CEO of CTIA. “As this report shows, policymakers need to continue to look for hundreds of MHz of additional licensed spectrum so this economic growth is sustained and America remains the global leader in this rapidly changing sector. Licensed spectrum serves as the industry’s backbone for network operators to boost speeds and capacity, device manufacturers to develop new products and apps and content developers to create new offerings.” The Brattle Group report also shows that in large part because the fiercely competitive mobile sector drives down prices, Americans value their mobile service between $5-$10 trillion more than they actually pay to use it.