While the fight for Philadelphia's wireless soul was long and loud and continues to resonate, there are thousands of U.S. residents for whom a fixed wireless service would literally be a lifestyle saver — and in some cases a lifesaver. In rural communities, and particularly on Indian reservations, fixed wireless technology can represent the best and only chance an area has to participate in the broadband revolution. There are places where it already works: Mescalero Apache Telecom (MATI), which serves the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in New Mexico, has begun deploying broadband wireless as a competitive service provider, offering Internet access and now even voice-over-IP service. By taking advantage of what technology can do to both address a community's need and create a profitable business plan, MATI has become a role model for other reservations. But the example it sets is not limited to the Native American population. There are rural communities and small exurban towns for which wireless technology would not only be a boon, but also a good business. It is easy to overlook these areas because they don't grab headlines, but that doesn't make their needs or their viability as business prospects less meaningful. Wireless technology could be the most cost-effective way to reach residents in far-flung communities, especially when the subsidies of rural landline service are at issue. While the battles rage over who will be the third competitor in a big-city market, the war for the rest of the population may be lost.