Wireless Broadband Race Tightens

Everyone's playing to win the wireless data game, but the approaches are starting to differ.

Big telcos such as Cingular, Verizon Wireless and Sprint (FON Quote) are driving the high-speed push. Neck-and-neck in the early stages of this high-stakes race, they see wireless data as a big sales opportunity just as calling-service revenue is starting to plateau.

Selling office-speed Internet connections to on-the-go mobile customers could be worth billions to equipment companies like Lucent Technologies (LU Quote), Ericsson (ERICY Quote) and Nortel Networks (NT Quote) as well. ...