2022Annual Survey Highlights
Since 1985, CTIA has surveyed U.S. wireless providers, highlighting the evolution of this dynamic industry. The 2022 CTIA Annual Survey tells a story of wireless capital investment that is speeding 5G deployment, spurring broadband competition, and building the connectivity platform that will strengthen the nation’s economy and inspire new innovation.Thanks to wireless providers’ record investment, 5G rolled out twice as fast as 4G. Now, as 5G networks blanket the nation, 5G home broadband is unleashing wireless’s competitive spirit in a whole new market, delivering home high-speed internet offerings that help reach unserved and underserved communities—aiding the U.S. in tackling the digital divide. It’s just the latest example of 5G networks’ power to build new foundations for society-enhancing advancements. These 5G-enabled technologies are being implemented across industries—from wireless soil sensors to driverless cars—leading to higher efficiency and lower emissions. In fact, Accenture projects that 5G innovations will help America meet one-fifth of its climate goals. The 5G Economy is only beginning. As entrepreneurs, inventors, and entire industries tap 5G’s potential, the power of wireless will bring solutions beyond our imagination.
3FOUR CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF WIRELESS INDUSTRY INVESTMENT GROWTHUnprecedented Investment in Our Wireless FutureWireless providers’ capital expenditures reached a historic, all-time high in 2021. Providers invested $35 billion into growing, improving, and running their networks. This is the fourth consecutive year of increased investment—a powerful trend that emphasizes the societal importance of wireless connectivity and underlines the industry’s commitment to building a robust platform for innovation that connects all communities.Since 2018, the year 5G launched, providers have invested over $121 billion in their networks, and over the life of the wireless industry, investment totals over $635 billion.$121BINVESTED FROM 2018, THE YEAR 5G LAUNCHED, TO 2021.
42011 0.9T MB20133.2T MB20159.7T MB201715.7T MB201937.1T MBWireless Data Traffic Skyrockets With the growth in wireless innovations, applications, and connections, mobile data use has consistently increased year-over-year—and it leapt to 53.4 trillion MBs in 2021. That means U.S. networks are supporting more data traffic than 2010 through 2017 combined. In fact, the 11.2 trillion MB increase in data use since last year alone is 1.5 trillion MB more than consumers used in all of 2015. Wireless data traffic will only keep climbing—Ericsson predicts consumers will nearly quintuple their mobile data use, to 240 trillion MBs per year by 2027. MOBILE WIRELESS DATA TRAFFICGROWTH IN MOBILE TRAFFIC IN 2021 COMPARED TO 2020. 2X2010 0.4T MB20121.5T MB20144.1T MB201613.7T MB201828.6T MB202042.2T MBTRILLION MBMobile Data202153.4
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