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A World Without Wi-Fi Looks Possible as Unlimited Plans Rise

  • Unlimited mobile data plans, competing systems pose threats
  • ‘You could see a big switch’ in consumer behavior: analyst
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The Wi-Fi icon -- a dot with radio waves radiating outward -- glows on nearly every internet-connected device, from the iPhone to thermostats to TVs. But it’s starting to fade from the limelight.

With every major U.S. wireless carrier now offering unlimited data plans, consumers don’t need to log on to a Wi-Fi network to avoid costly overage charges anymore. That’s a critical change that threatens to render Wi-Fi obsolete. And with new competitive technologies crowding in, the future looks even dimmer.