UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said wireless technologies can help developing nations leapfrog more expensive telecom technologies and empower people: It's nice to see wireless getting such big time attention.
I couldn't agree more that wireless can be a low cost way of connecting poorer communities. I've written about an Indian tribe in the Northwest U.S. that's using wireless to connect the reservation to the Internet as a means of bringing jobs to tribal members and preserving its culture. We've all read about other examples of such communities benefiting from wireless.
Unfortunately, funding that might help rural communities in the United States build wireless networks is currently at risk. The Wireless Communications Association in tandem with a slew of other rural and technology organizations have been working hard to convince the House to retain an increase in funding for rural broadband development that the Senate included in its budget.