Telecom Lead America: The wireless industry
added $195.5 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in
2011, and could lead to nearly $1.5 trillion in productivity gains
over the next ten years, according to Recon Analytics.
The study reveals that approximately $90
billion of government revenue generated by the U.S. wireless use.
According to study author and Recon Analytics
founder Roger Entner, presently, the wireless industry contributes more to
America’s economic growth than the auto, agriculture, hotel or motion picture
industries.
The report describes a relationship between economic
growth and the availability of spectrum. Its analysis of historical data
shows that every 10MHz of additional licensed spectrum boosts GDP by more
than $1.7 billion and adds 7,000 jobs.
Entner added that the growth surge reflects a powerful combination
of innovation by wireless carriers to bring 4G mobile broadband service to
consumers, along with device makers and mobile apps developers who are also
introducing new technologies to the market.
However, Entner warns that the potential growth could be
shut off by spectrum shortages. He said, “for now, new technologies such
as 4G LTE, as well as investment in new towers and other infrastructure are
squeezing more capacity from each MHz, but as a matter of physics, existing
spectrum can expand only so far. To keep the growth going, the
wireless industry not only needs additional spectrum, but also policies that
won’t get in the way of critical network investment.”
The findings reveal that, wireless services
produced $33 billion in productivity improvements for U.S. businesses
in nine categories in 2011.
Furthermore, it is expected that productivity gains
attributable to wireless will total more than $1.4 trillion over the next
decade. The report said that the wireless sector’s value chain
continues to spread to new sectors. Most prominently America’s mobile apps
industry has benefitted greatly from the economic influences in the wireless
sector, growing from virtually nothing, to a $10 billion giant in
fewer than five years.
Wireless industry can help in reducing energy costs
According to a report authored by BSR, an emerging
wireless-enabled environment has the potential to drive billions of dollars in
energy savings and reshape how American industry, agriculture and the public
sector approach sustainability,
