Expanding Wireless Networks is Good for All

By Bruce Mehlman

At CNN Money, David Goldman has launched a week-long series examining America’s wireless capacity crunch. It’s well worth the read, as it identifies important issues currently facing the FCC and wireless companies. But I would add that whether you are a big user of smart phones or don’t use one at all, providing spectrum to expand wireless networks is good for all of us because it will create jobs and adds billions of dollars in private sector investment to the economy. 

Clearly the carriers expect to make money. No return, no investment. But over the past decade that system has led to massive improvements in consumer choices, investment, innovation and falling prices per megabit, per message and per minute. From e-health to e-learning to e-gov to the App economy, spectrum is the oxygen for this incredibly vibrant and competitive market.