Does the wireless industry really need all of these standards?

There is an ongoing proliferation of standards impacting the development of wireless technology and products. Looking at the large collection of existing and emerging standards supporting the wireless systems that are available on the market, one has to wonder whether the wireless community really need all of these standards. After examining both why and how standards are created, we can say that the more standards available, whether they are competing or complementary, the greater the choices for the market, and thus the greater the chance the market will have access to the best technologies to suit its need. The proliferation of standards in the long term fosters competition, lowers prices to consumers, and allows for innovation in other areas