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SOCIAL AND ECONd growing. Few people are
untouched by the wireless communication enabled by WiFi, and the number of wireless-enabled
internet device subscriptions in the United States now exceeds the American population. As our
society becomes more interconnected, driven by wireless interactions and wireless technologies,
our dependence on the availability of WiFi will increase. Understanding the economic power of
WiFi is therefore becoming increasingly important in designing effective policy across virtually
every dimension.
This study was motivated by the emergence of WiFi as a key enabler to economic growth
and prosperity, and in turn the ongoing debates surrounding unlicensed spectrum allocation.
Given the importance of WiFi, having accurate and reliable data on the magnitude of its role is
critical. Yet there are few empirically driven estimates on how WiFi contributes to the economy.
Both data and methodological limitations related to the fact that spectrum is not a traditional
good or service create unique challenges to understanding WiFi’s value. We sought to contribute
to the ongoing policy discussions by providing a new data point for the potential economic
importance of one unlicensed portion of spectrum that is the current subject of debate—the 75
MHz that comprises the GHz frequency band.
This study had several core objectives:
• Estimate the potential economic value of an unlicensed frequency band that is currently
under discussion for reallocation.
• Understand the trade-offs associated with realizing this potential value, in terms of
existing and future trends and policies and in terms of how this spectrum could be
allocated.
• Provide a new perspective on the current discourse surrounding unlicensed spectrum
allocation policy.
This research was funded by th