Effective Spectrum Pricing in Latin America

Policies to support better quality and more affordable mobile services services

To deliver affordable, widespread, quality mobile broadband services, operators require fair access to sufficient radio spectrum. Careful spectrum management is central to the digital economy. This report highlights the damage done to consumers by policy decisions that artificially in ate spectrum prices. Put simply, higher prices are associated with more expensive, lower quality mobile broadband, slower deployment of next generation networks and irrecoverable losses in consumer welfare.

This report is one of a series of regional follow ups to the GSMA’s global report on the impact of spectrum prices. It investigates spectrum pricing trends in Latin America and their impact on consumers, and highlights cases of good and bad practice by policymakers. One finding is that median prices for capacity spectrum in Latin America are almost twice as high as in Europe, so there is reason to be concerned about policy.