Feet on the street; 'Master agents,' indie retailers serve the grass roots.(Spotlight)

Publication: RCR Wireless News

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COPYRIGHT 2008 Crain Communications, Inc.

Byline: PHIL CARSON

America is the proverbial "melting pot,'' a nation of immigrants and their neighborhoods. With greater than 80% wireless penetration, everyone needs a mobile phone. Add the complexity of the shifting landscape from voice to advanced data services and you have a business proposition for those who can reach beyond the mainstream.

In a nation of 300 million-plus people, that translates to big business, even for those pursuing a relatively small slice of the market.

Enter the "authorized master agent'' and the independent retailer, whose reach "on the street'' is sought after and backed by the major carriers.

The "authorized master agent'' typically is aligned with one or more carriers to deliver phones, service activations and support to the indie retailer, which is the face of the wireless industry to countless neighborhoods where carriers' own retail efforts aren't cost-efficient.

While carriers dominate the direct retail channel with about 66% of the market, an array of other players divvy up the rest of the...

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