Lastest CTIA figures showed US mobile companies pumped almost $35 billion into their networks in 2021, up from $30 billion in 2020, marking the fourth straight year of increased capex.

In a statement on 13 September, CTIA revealed operators invested close to $121 billion in their networks since in 2018, much of which was apparently going towards 5G infrastructure, resulting in coverage of more than 315 million people at end-2021.

An annual survey revealed 5G was deployed twice as fast as 4G, in part due to siting reforms which eased barriers.

Close to 70,000 sites were lit between 2019 and 2021 after the Federal Communications Commission and state governments amended regulations.

The CTIA stated data traffic increased by 11.2 trillion megabytes to 53.4 trillion in 2021.

CTIA president and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker (pictured) stated competition had pushed prices down and led to record levels of investment.

The association has tracked industry investments through its survey since 1985.