This month, the Federal Communications Commission began its first spectrum auction in four years. Congress has directed the FCC to auction additional spectrum over the coming years, selling off slices of America’s airwaves to the highest bidder — almost certainly including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, the three carriers that have dominated every major spectrum auction for decades.

That is worth pausing on. While some slices of America’s airwaves are being sold at the auction block, another is quietly fueling the evolution of the American economy — expanding internet access, increasing competition, and driving down consumer costs.