Who has been buying midband 5G spectrum, how much and what did it cost them? Operators will be making return-on-investment calculations based a combination of spectrum prices plus the operational and capital expenditures involved in deploying the spectrum. Here are the results of the four midband 5G spectrum auctions that have been held in the United States, breaking down the top three winning bidders in terms of licenses won, average price per MHz/POP and more.
It’s also important to note where operators have opted to sit out, and what that says about their view of the relative value and utility of the spectrum involved. For instance, Verizon did not make any purchases in the 3.45 GHz auction, while AT&T passed on CBRS PALs.
