Wireless Telecommunications Carriers NAICS 517112

Jan 9, 2026 - Trump Administration Considers Tariff Options

• The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments on whether tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are legal. Wireless telecommunications carriers are likely to benefit if the cost of goods imported from countries that were hit with tariffs decreases. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled earlier that President Trump overstepped his authority when he declared national emergencies to justify tariffs on many countries. The Trump administration can use other laws to impose duties on goods from other countries if the tariffs are ruled illegal. The administration will most likely rely on Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act to recreate Trump's tariffs, experts told Business Insider. Section 301 allows the US to place tariffs on goods from countries if they "either violated international trade law or otherwise acted unfairly," according to Rachel Brewster, a professor of international trade at Duke Law School. The law includes provisions that allow the president to form trade deals with other countries to resolve the unfair trade practices, so the deals Trump already struck could likely be "folded into" Section 301, Brewster said. Section 232 allows the president to impose tariffs on goods determined to be a national security threat. Trump has already applied it to goods ranging from aluminum to bathroom vanities, according to Business Insider.
• US telecom industry capital expenditure (capex) is expected to decrease year over year in 2025, according to Telecom Lead. Major carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are adopting more disciplined investment strategies after several years of heavy spending on 5G rollouts and fiber expansion. Telecom operators are now focusing on optimizing their existing infrastructure and achieving higher returns on prior investments.

• Telecommunications industry core products and services are becoming commodities according to professional services firm PWC. Firms have difficulty raising prices while facing a continual need to invest in infrastructure. PWC notes, however, that there are always niches of expansion and opportunities for companies in industries with relatively slow growth. A sweeping reconfiguration of legacy industries will create a greater demand for connectivity and communications services in the coming years, according to PWC. Key megatrends within the telco industry itself are causing a sweeping internal reconfiguration, which is opening up many new opportunities. These include strategic investments in AI, fixed connectivity, and B2B service; working with investors and regulators to create opportunities to optimize market structure; and deploying deals to build scale.
• Wireless telecommunications carrier industry employment decreased slightly and average wages for nonsupervisory employees increased slightly during the first eight months of 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Wireless telecommunications carriers increased prices slightly during the first nine months of 2025, according to the BLS. Wireless telecommunications carrier sales are forecast to grow at a 4.94% compounded annual rate from 2025 to 2029, faster than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.