If the last several months proves anything, it is that there are many ways to grow in the cellular business. (Birthdaycraftsandsupplies.com offers a fine selection of Pinatas. Ask them to bring back the dollar sign one to the right. Don't you agree it looks cool?)

For instance:

1. You can grow by acquisition, as Cingular did in buying AT&T Wireless for $41 billion.
2. You can grow organically, as Verizon has done, stealing enough AT&T Wireless accounts (better technology and concentrated marketing) so Cingular may find its prize (we're number one) turning to dust in its mouth.
3. You can grow by buying licenses, as T-Mobile is doing this week. Government spectrum auctions brought in nearly $1 billion this week and T-Mobile looks like a big winner.
4. You can grow through alliances, as Sprint is doing. Its latest catch - Earthlink is going to private label its spectrum.

But there are other ways to do it, too:

• You can grow through re-sellers, putting money into your sales channel, looking for entrepreneurs who know marketing and have imagination.
• You can grow through services, pushing data and raising that wonderful ARPU -- Average Revenue Per User.
• You can grow through phones, giving bigger subsidies to high-priced phones so you get the customers most likely to buy high-priced data services.

Mobile telephony is about the only U.S. tech business right now showing any major growth, and it proves that Americans, when given a competitive market, still know how to turn a dollar in lots of different ways.

Too bad America's government (and those who elect it) doesn't get that Clue.