I understand that it is necessary for broadcasters, wireless companies, etc for transmission. But there can only be a finite amount of spectrum. Has it all been used up? If there is some remaining then does the FCC hold it back? Do companies get more efficient in using it? If it is such a finite and valuable resource then wouldn’t companies pay a lot for their licenses?
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Yes they do pay a lot for it. The FCC often couples a spectrum with a location. Radio stations for example have to prove that their transmitters don’t broadcast further outside of an area, or a frequency than they are allowed. The FCC will sometimes also audit these stations.
Also sometimes these frequencies don’t need to be very wide. If you’re sending compressed digital data over the frequency you can get away with a narrower broadcast frequency.
And that’s about all I know, from having been raised by a broadcast engineer and occasional inspector-for-hire.
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