Today we could read that LG in the UK has decided to use phone stores for their netbook (a notebook with an embedded SIM card) launch. Until 2009 no sales via the traditional computer retailers until 2009, instead launching the device through Phones4U shops. According to a spokesman of LG the combination of a laptop and mobile broadband will become very important, even for the Christmas season, and that requires other sales channels.

What has that to do with CAT-iq, you might ask. 

Originally, CAT-iq sales have been seen as “operator only”, meaning that the operators would install CAT-iq-enabled gateways, and that handsets would be sold to connect to the gateways, mostly through the operator channels. More or less the same as routers are being sold, a combination of a ADSL subscription and a router.

Strangely enough DECT products are mainly sold via the retailchannel, and still quite sucesfully.
Why couldn't this be valid for CAT-iq as well. Is this not mainly depending on the type of products? I would guess that a sort of router could be sold via the operator channels, but other more home communication products and 'phones' could be sold in the retail.

It is still too early to see where it is going, as there are not many CAT-iq products around, but operators and retailers be warned. You have to think about the sales channel  fo CAT-iq products.