deo Communications data-only options with their ever-less expensive voice-only options. To maintain users and drive higher revenues, many traditional cellular carriers now offer connectivity and services over WiFi networks, and new alliances between conventional wireless carriers and wired broadband service providers will create a host of new and interesting carrier-based services. A recent development in the evolution of carrier networks is the emergence of the Managed Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), a company that does not own licensed spectrum but resells wireless services under its own brand name using another company's network. MVNOs began in Europe, but are beginning to emerge globally. Several operate in the US and several more (notably AT&T Wireless, which, when it sold its own assets to Cingular, began reselling Sprint's network) have been announced. An example of an MVNO is Virgin Mobile, a carrier that purchases spectrum from Sprint in the US and other carriers across the globe to offer wireless e- commerce and communication services. MVNO carriers are in a unique position to offer demand-based services that emerging wireless standards such as WiMAX and VoWLAN enable, while conventional carriers prepare consumers for new cellular- based services with such technologies as WCMA, UMTS, and HSDPA. Global sales of 3G services worldwide are projected to exceed $9 billion in 2005, and some estimates indicate that by 2008 there will two billion mobile users worldwide with 3G networks carrying traffic from half of them. Suffice it to say, 3G services are coming to America in a variety of forms and are already here in limited locales. However slowly, the networks we use will become increasingly more flexible, increasingly more available, more data-oriented and more wireless with each passing year. CONSUMER ELECTRONICS There is abundant evidence that the unparalleled rise and phenomenal success of cellular networks has been consumer appeal. Although cell networks are technology marvels and represent tens of bill