9:59AM CTIA president Steve Largent is out.
9:59AM And he's off!
9:58AM $30 billion in spectrum translates roughly to $300 billion in consumer benefit, he says.
9:56AM He says voluntary auctions of broadcast spectrum could haul in $30 billion. "Not pocket change."
9:55AM Of course, new spectrum is still a priority for the FCC, but it's getting clearer that even a best-case licensing scenario won't free up enough to keep pace with data growth.
9:55AM Interesting -- this might be the strongest language we've heard Julius use in a speech to promote spectrum solutions that don't involve freeing up new spectrum: dynamic spectrum sharing, femtocells, so on.
9:52AM Next, streamlining rules for tower deployment and refurbishment for next-gen wireless services.
9:51AM A couple other biggies on the FCC's plate: roaming agreements (which we're sure rural carriers are pleased to hear) and next-generation 911 services -- texting, sending pictures and video to 911 call centers.
9:50AM He's still skirting parts of the net neutrality debate here by saying that the FCC's open internet rules passed last December "recognize the differences" between landline and mobile networks.
9:47AM "Spectrum is the oxygen that allows all of these mobile applications to breathe." You stole Dan's line, Julius!
9:46AM He's throwing out a bunch of figures emphasizing the explosive growth of the smartphone app ecosystem -- needless to say, they're all designed to bolster his case for more spectrum.
9:44AM "With mobile broadband, children can replace 50-pound backpacks" with digital textbooks.
9:44AM "With the emergence of machine-to-machine technology, pretty much everything can become connected."
9:43AM He's talking about a "virtuous cycle of innovation" between apps, services, and networks -- we've definitely heard that line before.
9:42AM "To some, it was a surprise that our Broadband Plan included major sections on mobile broadband."
9:41AM Genachowski's taking an interesting perspective here: as the "legacy" leader in technology, the US is more encumbered from adapting to new disruptive technologies than other countries approaching ubiquitous broadband with a "whiteboard" approach.
9:38AM "It's clear that America's global competitors aren't standing still. [American] leadership isn't a birthright -- it needs to be earned by every generation."
9:38AM "Too man Americans have no broadband access at all." Rural and senior communities have particularly low adoption rates.
9:37AM Whoa, he just namechecked 5G! Let us get some solid 4G first, alright, man?
9:36AM "Many [smartphones] have more computing power than NASA's lunar lander."
9:35AM Needless to say, Julius is going to focus on spectrum allocation -- why it's important, and why it's needed right now.
9:35AM "Broadband is no longer a luxury -- it's an essential platform."
9:34AM "I know everyone is talking about the transaction that was just announced -- I'm sure you can understand I'm not going to comment on that." Aww!
9:34AM Genachowski: "It's like Tomorrowland has been moved from the Magic Kingdom to the Orange County Convention Center."
9:32AM And Dan's wrapping up -- he's introducing FCC chair Julius Genachowski.
9:31AM "I must give props to this administration and this FCC in that they've made spectrum allocation a top priority."
9:30AM "Spectrum is the oxygen that gives our industry life and growth." Yep, here comes the boilerplate spectrum allocation pitch (not that we're complaining -- it's a really important topic).
9:28AM By January of next year, all American phones will use micro-USB as the standard charging interface. That actually got applause. "I know, that's been a pet peeve of mine for a long time."
9:27AM Talking about Sprint's and CTIA's green efforts -- recycling and buy-back programs are in full effect, regardless of manufacturer or carrier of the device you're trying to flip.
9:26AM "Wireless smart grids aren't just a concept, they're here now." Lots of talk about machine-to-machine communication here -- it's pretty clear that carriers are looking to vertical markets for new revenue sources as the consumer side starts to saturate.
9:23AM Here's another little Sprint plug -- Dan's talking about the carrier's Android app for locking out phones when they're traveling greater than 10 miles an hour.
9:23AM "Distracted driving, and improving the environment, are areas where everyone seems to agree in principle that more needs to be done. I'm pleased to say that the CTIA is taking the lead in these areas."
9:21AM "The US is expected to be the leading country for in-car internet access over the next six years."
9:21AM Healthcare is a big focus for wireless -- Dan's talking about Sprint's partnership announcement at HIMSS recently, a big healthcare informatics show.
9:19AM "Now we're upgrading to 4G using both the LTE and WiMAX standards." We're pretty sure he's referring to the US market as a whole, not Sprint -- but it's still funny to hear him say. And of course, the latest rumors have Sprint pegged for an LTE deployment anyhow.
9:18AM Dan's generally doing a pretty good job acting the part as CTIA chairman as opposed to Sprint CEO here -- relatively few mentions of Sprint in this opening address.
9:17AM 80 million tablet shipments projected in 2012.
9:15AM Quoting an IBM study: "The cellphone is no longer a gadget; it's what IT is going to become."
9:14AM Ah, very slick, Dan -- he just slipped in a plug for Sprint ID while talking up the explosion in mobile apps.
9:13AM "In the fourth quarter of 2010, Google's Android OS became the fastest growing smartphone platform in the world. Android now claims 29 percent of the market compared with 27 percent for both RIM's OS and Apple's OS." He's praising North America's leadership in smartphone platform development.
9:11AM Hesse's praising the US' leadership in 4G services -- a stark contrast to Europe's leadership in 2G and Japan's in 3G.
9:10AM He's praising NTT DoCoMo's amazing response to the earthquake -- just 1,000 cell sites are still down.
9:08AM Dan's kicking this off by telling a few groaners. "All kidding aside, it's a pleasure for me to be here."
9:07AM Here comes CTIA chairman (and Sprint CEO) Dan Hesse!
9:06AM Here we go!
9:05AM For those wondering, they've got Robyn playing right now with the bass turned WAY up. No, not playing live. We wish.
9:02AM Sorry that the comments aren't enabled, folks -- we're working on it!
8:57AM They're literally playing Angry Birds on the jumbotrons right now. Can this game be escaped?
We're seated in the auditorium for CTIA Wireless 2011's first keynote session, featuring FCC chairman Julius Genachowski -- who's frequented CTIAs in years past -- along with the bosses of Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, and Sprint. Needless to say, these are a bunch of heavy hitters about to take the stage... and we're curious whether they'll be saying a peep about AT&T's planned acquisition of T-Mobile USA. Tune in after the break!
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