Investment of up to $53 billion on 4G networks over the next five years could add tens of thousands of jobs in the U.S. -- if operators can get enough spectrum for major deployments -- according to new research from Deloitte Development LLC .

The report, "The Impact of 4G Technology on Commercial Interactions, Economic Growth, and U.S. Competitiveness," says that wireless companies in the U.S. could invest $25 billion to $53 billion in 4G between 2012 and 2016, triggering $73 billion to $151 billion in gross domestic product growth and creating 371,000 to 771,000 jobs.

Deloitte says that the $25 billion figure assumes a scenario in which "U.S. 4G deployment proceeds at a moderate pace and the transition from 3G to 4G extends to the middle of the decade." The $53 billion figure assumes that U.S. carriers spend more and faster, helping keep the U.S. in a leading position in worldwide mobile broadband deployments.

One major sticking point, according to Deloitte, is the availability of spectrum in the U.S. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is moving toward opening up an extra 500MHz of spectrum over the next nine years.

Even that may not be enough, Deloitte suggests. The report says that there is a continuing need to find new spectrum and better exploit existing radio waves.

Why this matters
The report links 4G development with economic and job growth in the U.S. and highlights the continuing need for more spectrum for mobile broadband expansion.

See more
Read up on the spectrum crunch in the U.S.

• FCC at CTIA: 'Spectrum Is Oxygen'
• FCC Proposes 300MHz More Spectrum by 2015
• FCC Swaps TV Spectrum for Mobile Broadband
• Network Crunch Could Stymie Cloud Computing
• Qualcomm Chief Stresses Need for App Efficiency

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Light Reading Mobile