U.S. Mobile Operators Might Have Spent 53% of Total Capex Since 1994 on Spectrum

U.S. mobile operators have cumulatively spent about $601 billion in capital investment since 1994, according to the CTIA.

Spectrum license purchases since 1994 have amounted to at least $211.5 billion, not including the cost of spectrum licenses that have traded hands in the form of direct purchases or company acquisitions and mergers. 

Assume that about half of all spectrum originally acquired at auction then is resold on secondary markets, primarily as firms with those licenses are acquired by other firms. That would imply an additional $106 billion that mobile operators have spent on spectrum assets. 

source: CTIA 

If so, then spectrum represents about $317.5 billion in spectrum capex, or roughly 53 percent of total capex. 

source: CTIA