How has WiFi's relationship with cellular evolved?

In 2003, WiFi was derided in some quarters as obsolete in a wireless wide area network reality. Today, operators have come around, and have embraced WiFi's benefits. GSM carriers such as as AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile USA were quicker to adopt WiFi technology, but even CDMA carriers and chip suppliers such as Qualcomm are changing their stance. And the wireless industry's embrace of WiFi over the past several years speaks volumes about the dynamics of wireless access itself. Feature [1]