Trends:
•  Two-thirds of all households now have mobile phones, with new features like cameras and color screens.
•  Wide assortment of ring tones grows in popularity.
•  Price, battery life, ease-of-use remain top-of-mind for mobile phone consumers.
•  Significant early adopter activity on mobile data, games, music.
•  Mobile broadband, TV getting attention.
•  Wireless shifting to personal/fashion device from utility device.
•  Wi-Fi, Wi-MAX moving up.     
•  Handsets becoming “life infrastructure”.
•  Mobile music and video, broadcast TV coming next.
•  Emerging role for cable operators.
• MVNOs generating interest.
• Nextel looking at 4G.
•  IP wireless “broadband-to-go”.

Wireless Products and Technologies Morphing into Life Infrastructure
With estimates of a staggering $500 billion wireless industry by 2009, the convergence of computing, communications and consumer electronics, along with the business models that will drive new services such as mobile broadband TV, music, video and all things voice and data, is quickening the journey to a wireless world.

The shift to a “life infrastructure” mentality replete with wireless devices, particularly the handset, is tilting toward personal lifestyle options that will enable a wide range of wireless features. features.

3G technology is enhancing opportunities for advanced games, audio and music and multi-service media, adding new features like MP3, video playback and GPS capabilities. All of this is leading the industry to a projected 15 percent growth in revenues this year, according to a CEA study.

Mobile video, says ESPN President George Bodenheimer, “is in the top of the first inning,” as the sports network becomes a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).

From a business perspective, investments in wireless from the venture capital community are expected to top $1 billion for the first time since the go-go days of 1999-2001, with venture capitalists looking closely at Wi-MAX, wireless VoIP, music and mobile data technology, reports The MoneyTree Survey. Said one venture capitalist, “The focus is clearly on wireless again.”

And the journey to a “life infrastructure” is underway.