A wireless grid is characterized by the ad-hoc dynamic sharing of physical and virtual resources among heterogeneous devices. This paper reviews wireless grids standards development, in which the authors are engaged, and draws policy lessons from the emergent phenomenon to consider if they apply more generally for open Internet-driven innovation systems. Implications of wireless grids for open communications policy, whose need has become more obvious with the failure of the 'Network Neutrality' attempted patch to the1996 Telecommunications Act, is discussed briefly in the conclusion to the paper. In addition, new wireless grid product and market concepts – such as edgeware, gridlets and personal infrastructure – or will it become known as personal cyberinfrastructure? – are introduced and their meaning and policy implications explained. WiGiT (Wireless Grid Innovation Testbed) specifications now under development with support of the National Science Foundation’s Partnership for Innovation program (grants # 0917973, #0227879) promise to provide users with a new class of personal infrastructure applications, or edgeware. The WiGiT partnership, led by Syracuse University’s Wireless Grid Lab, together with Virginia Tech’s Wireless Internet Center for Advanced Technology (WICAT), look to employ an open innovation model to engage more universities, faculty, students, firms and government agencies, in their work. WiGiT partners include government, industry and universities. For example, the Portuguese government’s Knowledge Society Agency and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development are both founding partners. Recent additions include the Seneca Nation of Indians, and the Syracuse City School District. Future projections of this nascent specification will be shared in forthcoming publications. For this paper, use cases and scenarios will illustrate some of the capacities, and their benefits and risks, and will make policy recommendations for emergency services, security, privacy, built upon open architecture and open, universal, and flexible access principles for wireless grids
