Wireless Industry Blasted Over Spectrum Study
CTIA and NERA report claims $264B in gains, but critics call it exaggerated and unverified.
WASHINGTON, June 20, 2025 — A recent study backed by U.S. mobile industry trade association CTIA has come under fire from economists and industry analysts who say the report dramatically exaggerates the benefits of reallocating mid-band spectrum for 5G.
The study, conducted by economic consulting firm NERA, claimed that allocating 100 megahertz of licensed mid-band spectrum for mobile use would generate $264 billion in GDP, create 1.55 million new jobs, and expand high-speed wireless broadband to 275,000 additional households.
In the study, CTIA and NERA maintain that the estimated economic gains will unfold over a 15-year period. The groups argue that to meet surging demand for wireless data, the federal government must allocate at least 400 megahertz of additional mid-band spectrum by 2027.
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But critics say the study relies on inflated assumptions and ignores key economic and technical realities. Dean Bubley, founder of Disruptive Analysis, called the report “not rigorous or credible,” in an op-ed published in RCR Wireless, arguing it exaggerated the likely impact on broadband access and job creation.
The report “misses a range of important factors that cast significant doubt on its quantitative analysis and conclusions,” Bubley wrote.
NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, echoed those concerns, writing in a release that the study “completely ignores the costs incurred in clearing spectrum for licensed use, both in terms of time and money.”
“NERA’s trillion-dollar benefit projections in support of carrier preferences rely on overly optimistic assumptions, questionable math, and one-sided analysis,” NCTA stated.
The Phoenix Center, a Washington-based telecom policy think tank, also challenged the report’s core assumptions. In its response, the Phoenix Center warned “there is no evidence that 5G deployment has improved employment, wages, business growth, personal income, or GDP.”
“Despite the industry’s sweeping promises, the data show no measurable economic impact from 5G so far,” wrote George Ford, chief economist for the Phoenix Center.
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