Wireless Economics

• Mobile cellular has been the most rapidly adopted technology in history, according to ITU World Telecommunications.
• In the United States, since December 2010, smartphone engagement has grown more than three-fold from 131 billion total minutes spent on the platform to a remarkable 442 billion by December 2013. Tablets, which were in their infancy in late 2010, have seen usage jump ten-fold over that same period to 124 billion minutes spent per month. Not only does mobile now account for the majority (57 percent) of internet usage, but smartphones alone have surpassed desktop usage. (comScore)
• Silicon Valley companies dominate smart phone operating platforms. Between Google (Mountain View), Apple (Cuperitino) and Samsung (San Jose), the vast majority of market share is from local employers. (Forbes)
• 25.3 % of mobile users accessed a social networking site or blog. Silicon Valley based Facebook is the leading social networking site. (comScore)
• The U.S. wireless industry is valued at $195.5 billion, which is larger than publishing, agriculture, hotels and lodging, air transportation, motion picture and recording and motor vehicle manufacturing industry segments. This economic impact rivals that of the computer system design service and oil and gas extraction industries. (CTIA)
• While U.S. consumers represent only 5 percent of the world’s wireless connections, we comprise 50 percent of the world’s 4G/LTE connections. This number is more than double the share of second ranking Japan and almost triple the share of third ranking South Korea. (CTIA)
• The U.S. has the largest mobile data market and more mobile internet users than any other nation. (ITU World Telecommunications)
• Wireless jobs paid more than 50% higher wages than the national average of other production workers. (CTIA)