In this paper we discuss utility functions models to study Radio Resource Management. Our goal is to identify the characteristics of the wireless systems which make such theoretical models, though challenging, very useful, as they allow to quantify the Quality of Service and to analytically investigate the users’ satisfaction. Moreover, we show how, within a utility-based framework, it is possible to also study economic issues, besides more conventional technical aspects such as throughput or system capacity. Thus, when economics are taken into account by considering the financial needs of the provider and the users’ reaction to prices, we are able to study wireless systems in a more realistic and appropriate way. Another key contribution of this paper is a discussion on how utility functions should be applied to the particular case of the radio resource. To this end, we extend classic economic concepts with an original proposal, better able to model the nature of the wireless se...