AT&T, Dish, and T-Mobile were the biggest spenders at the latest auction for 5G spectrum. 

Wireless carriers are racing to deploy their 5G networks, with mid-band spectrum being the most desirable for speed, range, and penetration. AT&T and Verizon, in particular, have had to spend big to acquire mid-band, while T-Mobile inherited a wealth of it as a result of buying Sprint. 

According toThe Verge, AT&T and Dish — which is building out its own 5G network — spent the most for the 3.45GHz band. AT&T spent $9 billion, while Dish spent $7.3 billion. T-Mobile rounded out the top three at $2.9 billion. 

Although the spectrum is close to the C-band spectrum that has caused a major issue with the airline industry, experts believe it is less likely to cause interference with aircraft altimeters as C-band.

Interestingly, Verizon did not participate in the auction.