The last two decades have been good for cellular phone companies like Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and AT&T. Demand for mobile phone and e-mail services has risen dramatically, and profits have followed suit.... Signals suggest, however, that wireless providers who aren’t careful might find themselves victims of a devastating disruptive assault from emerging technologies and business models. It may seem strange to suggest that seemingly dominant incumbents should worry about currently invisible attackers. But if history is any guide, it's not strange at all.... The combination of the dramatic growth of new wireless Internet access technologies such as WiFi, the ability to use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to make voice calls and the potential rise of companies willing to give away wireless service makes disruption a real possibility.

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