TMCnet's Mae Kowalke picks up on a new report from ABI Research entitled 2G/2.5G is Still Alive and Kicking, which notes that while 3G and 4G wireless are all the rage in the West, low-cost 2G wireless is still a very attractive solution in developing countries.

"The major infrastructure manufacturers have to be very clever in producing cost-effective 2G and 2.5G systems for developing markets, because there isn't a lot of money to spend," says ABI analyst lane Wilson.

One example is Ericsson's Expander program, which offers infrastructure requiring far fewer cell sites than traditional GSM networks. "The Expander system allows installation and expansion of 2G/2.5 networks in an exceptionally cost-efficient manner," Wilson says.

"It is just that kind of infrastructure, designed specifically for the developing world, that may help mitigate stagnation in the wireless market generally," Kowalke writes.

ABI's press release is here.