We have a mantra around here that aptly defines the pervasive content themes of Wireless Review and its sister publication, Telephony: What's next. (In addition to being a kind of mission statement, it's also the name of a regular column in Telephony.) It's not the inquisitive version of the phrase (“What's next?”), but rather a statement: Our content is all about unearthing, analyzing, defining and declaring what's next, in network technology development, business and financial trends, consumer behavior and the like.

That phrase kept occurring to me as I reviewed the content that comprises this issue of Wireless Review. Everything from the cover story to the regular departments to the shorter items to the subject of Forward Motion fits into the theme in its own way. That's our goal with every issue, of course, but sometimes things just click, and a certain collection of content all falls into place in a way that gives editors a fulfilling sense of accomplishment (and makes us nod appreciatively to the mystery of serendipity).

This month's cover story is the centerpiece. In it, Kevin Fitchard and Dan O'Shea explore the complexities that will go into the next phase of wireless expansion — the 2 billion worldwide customer mark and the addition of the next billion users. The article is the product of an ambitious globe-spanning effort and not only charts the milestones of wireless success, but also explores how different — and how much more difficult — it will be for the wireless industry to reach the next one. It's a story both about how technology changes people and how populations change technology, and how both redefine how an industry operates and progresses.

It continues on from there: In our Killer App department, Tim McElligott examines the standardization proceedings of push-to-talk technology and how they will affect that applications' future utility (and ongoing revenue potential). Carol Wilson analyzes what could happen in the 2.5 GHz spectrum when two previously separate entities, Sprint and Nextel, become one, and what it means for the broadband wireless sector.

And it closes out on the back page, where Terry Vega talks about her career migration from Lucent Technologies to Telcordia and now to Motorola and how it parallels the evolution of the wireless industry from network technology concerns to software to an ultimate focus on individualized user experiences and devices.

All of it serves as a comprehensive guide to what's next for wireless — at least, that is, until next time.