Al Jazeera was drawn to the space because the building was capable of being wired for digital media distribution, according to a person familiar with the matter.

WSJ: Al Jazeera in Site Hunt

According to Cooper, the barriers to making cellphones as versatile and efficient as wired devices are wrongheaded industry practices, like putting cell towers outside when the vast majority of conversations happen indoors.

FORBES: Wireless

"Listened and lip-synced to Lady Gaga's Telephone while exfiltrating possibly the largest data spillage in American history, " Pte Manning wrote, according to a transcript of their messages published on Wired's website.

BBC: Profile: Bradley Manning

According to the company, traditional phone companies spend about half of their wired expenses on maintaining increasingly obsolete copper networks.

FORBES: AT&T Moves Dramatically Towards 'Internet Everywhere'

By the end of this year 33% of Western Europe, 25% of Japan and 1% of the rest of Asia will be wired to the web, compared with 47% of the U.S., according to the research firm IDC.

FORBES: Innocents Abroad