Why do cell phone service providers pay so much for frequencies?
If you’re going to put something in a particular piece of air, and have it received, then you have to have it put there when no one else is using it. Buying the rights to a particular piece of air means that nobody else can legally use it; if they DO use it without your permission, then they can be fined, or even have their equipment confiscated. This is true for everybody from ham radio operators to cell phone companies to TV stations. The money is made back by the companies by “selling” the air extremely briefly to millions of customers. They’re willing to pay a lot of money because it’s capable of MAKING a lot of money – basic economics.
