CTIA - The Wireless Association® Blog - Wireless Technology

International CTIA WIRELESS 2010® Call For Speakers

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:52:00 -0500

Have you ever wondered how CTIA picks its speakers for our tradeshows? Or perhaps you’ve thought, “Gee, I’d make a great speaker/moderator/panelist.”

Today, we issued a Call for Speakers for our spring trade show taking place March 22-25, 2010 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

We’re accepting submissions beginning today until December 11, 2009 from experienced and innovative company executives and members of the media.

CTIA’s educational sessions highlight the important topics, trends and policy issues that are affecting the wireless ecosystem. Thousands of show attendees go to these sessions to learn from the valuable experiences of seasoned industry executives from trendsetting companies as they share their knowledge and understanding of wireless solutions, key applications, implementation approaches and experiences, best practices and case studies.

Some of the proposed educational session topics for International CTIA WIRELESS 2010 include:

Augmented Reality
Intelligent Transportation
Location Aware Applications
mHealth Solutions
Mobile Marketing & Advertising
Mobile Music & Games
Retail and Mobile Payments

You can submit an application or get more information on the application process at: www.ctiaspeakers.com.

Smart Grids: Another Example of Wireless Technology Benefits

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:30:00 -0500

When Congress tasked the FCC with developing a National Broadband Plan that includes “a plan for the use of broadband infrastructure and services in advancing . . . energy independence and efficiency,” we were pleased that the Commission identified “smart grids” – the integration of information and communication applications with the electric power grid – as a promising way to achieve these objectives.

Then, late last month, President Obama announced $3.4 billion of stimulus grants that will be allocated to 100 smart grid projects tasked with modernizing America’s energy efficiency and increasing reliability on renewable resources (e.g. wind and solar power).

Clearly, smart grid technology has captured the nation’s attention for its numerous benefits and promising potential.

In our comments to the FCC last month, we highlighted wireless communications as a critical component of smart grid deployments. Commercial wireless networks can satisfy, and are currently satisfying, the communications requirements of smart grid applications.

The benefits of smart grid technology can be profound, and wireless is an important part of the equation. A joint report by Accenture and Vodafone found that wireless technology can be used to:

Reduce carbon emissions in European Union (EU) member countries by 113 metric tons per year in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
Cut energy cost by £43 billion (approximately $70 billion), with more than 80% of these savings attributable to machine-to-machine communications.

But when thinking about deploying wireless communications for smart grids, we ask policymakers to consider these two points:

If net neutrality rules were applied to wireless, it is an open question regarding how a non-discrimination regulation would impact devices like smart meters or supervisory control and data acquisition (“SCADA”) system equipment. Further, if a provider or vendor devises an innovative smart grid communications technology or transmission algorithm to limit the impact of network congestion, would such a technology be permissible under new rules? If so, must the details be fully disclosed? It also is entirely plausible that certain communications in a smart grid solution will require prioritization. An overreaching network management policy may jeopardize the innovation for smart grid development and deployment.
With the increasing demand for more spectrum, it would be inefficient to dedicate spectrum for smart grid-specific networks when commercial networks can and are already satisfying smart grid systems.

CTIA's FCC Filing Summary on Competition in the Wireless Industry

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:04:00 -0500

In a Hillcon Valley blog post on Monday, Ruth Milkman, FCC's Wireless Bureau chief said, "There is tremendous agreement that wireless is vibrant and contributes to the economy. It’s a phenomenal set of services and applications."

We couldn't agree more. While we may be a bit biased, I think all of us have been impressed by some wireless app, device, technology, etc. As I mentioned in yesterday's post on our filing to the FCC on innovation and investment, this is an industry that is responsive to consumers and fiercely competes with one another for each customer.

In CTIA's wireless competition filing to the FCC , we highlight numerous examples of how the wireless ecosystem (made up of carriers, infrastructure suppliers, device manufacturers, operating system providers, and applications developers) remains competitive at every level.

This means that consumers and businesses are benefiting from the lowest prices, highest minutes of use, most innovative services and devices, most robust mobile broadband networks, and least concentrated wireless market among our global competitors.

But this fiercely competitive state of the mobile industry was no accident: it emerged from long-standing, market-driven policies, embraced on a bipartisan basis, favoring flexibility over command-and-control and competition over economic regulation.

Finally, we also highlighted additional steps (starting on page 77) that the Commission can take to facilitate on-going competition and ensure that consumers will continue to reap tremendous benefits from the mobile wireless sector.

After all, as John Donovan, AT&T’s CTO said in his keynote at CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment Show last week, “It’s a customer’s world; we’re just a part of it.”

CTIA's FCC Filing Summary on Wireless Innovation & Investment

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:31:00 -0500

To say CTIA's Regulatory Affairs team has been busy is certainly an understatement! Since September 29th, they've submitted nine filings to the FCC on various issues.

Over the next couple of weeks, we'll summarize the ones that have received the most attention and/or interest. Today's blog post is on the FCC's NOI wanting more information on the innovation and investment in the wireless industry (GN Docket No. 09-157).

First, the filing discusses the industry's virtuous cycle, with innovation and investment happening within each of the five groups and putting pressure to the other groups to innovate and invest. It's a constant evolution with consumers as the winners.

But as readers of this blog know, the wireless industry needs more spectrum. When the FCC Chairman was at International CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2009®, he pledged his support and commitment to providing the industry with more spectrum and approving a tower siting shot clock. This is a vital key to the industry's ability to continue innovations whether it's new phones, new capabilities, new applications, faster Internet speeds, etc.

The virtuous cycle and spectrum needs are closely intertwined. By having network reliability, coverage, and capacity, carriers are able to compete and attract customers in the competitive industry. This also means carriers are constantly investing in their networks. In fact, over the past twenty years, wireless carriers committed more than $264 billion in capital expenditures -- a combined average carrier investment of more than $22.8 billion per year to expand and upgrade networks from 2001-2008.

In addition, we've seen an explosion of wireless making a positive impact on other industries such as health care management (mHealth), smart grids, mobile learning (mLearning), "green" innovative wireless technologies, etc.

While we have a tendency to focus on these "new" technologies that rely on wireless to make a difference, we frequently forget about the non-technical innovations. It's hard to believe it was only eleven years ago when the first "bucket" plan was offered. And now think about how the industry has evolved to now offer rollover minutes, family plans, nights and weekends, etc. Carriers also offer extended trial periods, detailed coverage maps, prorated early termination fees, prepaid plans, etc.

This is an industry that is responsive to consumers and fiercely competes with one another for each customer.

Finally, CTIA closed with some regulatory suggestions, including:

Facilitating the timely deployment of wireless infrastructure by adopting CTIA’s petition on tower siting.
Improving the process for identifying spectrum for future reallocation and, particularly the need for greater information, transparency and coordination between Federal and commercial entities in future relocations under the CSEA.
Seeking input from the Technical Advisory Committee on technical issues.
Taking steps to streamline equipment and special temporary authorizations.
Exercising care to ensure that the Commission does not hamper efforts by the wireless industry to develop industry-wide standards for challenging issues.

I think the Regulatory team summed the wireless industry's innovation and investment best when they closed their summary by saying, "We are living in a period of intense innovation and investment in the mobile wireless communications marketplace. American consumers and businesses are reaping daily the innovation that results from a robust and competitive mobile ecosystem, and the FCC should take the necessary steps to ensure that the virtuous cycle of innovation and investment continues to advance."

Intelligent Transportation

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:48:00 -0500

Wireless technology can provide both traffic management systems & drivers with real-time data to better identify highway congestion & to ultimately save time, money & reduce emissions. Nokia's Quinn Jacobson talks about his company's efforts to help drivers & traffic specialists better handle our crowded highways. Take a listen.

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Semi-Annual Wireless Industry Survey Results: Wireless Data Continues to Grow

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:36:00 -0500

To kick off the first day at International CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2009®, we released our Semi-Annual Wireless Industry Survey.

While you can read the specifics about the survey, I thought I’d highlight a few interesting statistics that clearly demonstrate the wireless industry’s continued growth:

Wireless data service revenues for the first half of 2009 climbed to more than $19.4 billion—a 31% increase from the first half of 2008.

There are more than 276 million wireless subscribers.
More than 740 billion text messages were reported for the first half of 2009—breaking down to 4.1 billion messages per day— which is nearly double the amount of texts reported for the first half of 2008.
1.1 trillion minutes were used in the first half of 2009—breaking down to 6.4 billion minutes-of-use per day.
More than 246 million data-capable devices are in the hands of consumers today. More than 40 million of these devices are Smartphones or wireless-enabled PDAs and more than 10 million are wireless-enabled laptops, notebooks or aircards.

This impressive industry growth wouldn’t be possible without the fiercely competitive and innovative wireless marketplace where companies continue to rise to the challenge to meet consumer demand. I’m looking forward to visiting our exhibitors this week to see this incredible innovation on display.

If you would like to learn more, please listen to our podcast with Dr. Robert Roche, CTIA’s VP of Research who elaborates on our mid-year survey's key findings & discusses the industry’s continued growth.

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CTIA asks FCC: More Spectrum Please

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:03:00 -0500

It’s been a busy time for us at CTIA this week with FCC filing deadlines, Hill activities, Distracted Driving Summit and of course, our International CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment show next week.

But on Tuesday, we submitted a very important ex parte filing to the FCC requesting more spectrum because, to put it simply, it is the backbone of our industry.

It’s not something that most people think about, but it’s what allows the wireless industry to create and develop the great things that you and I take for granted everyday. As Steve said in his statement about the filing, spectrum drives the innovation and competition.

In our filing, this was the first time we had suggested a specific amount of spectrum to be identified and allocated. We said that the goal should be at least 800 MHz of additional spectrum over the next six years. We also requested policymakers to meet short-term spectrum needs by pairing and allocating readily-available spectrum.

To read the filing, please click here.

Here are a few of the media stories on our filing:

mobihealthnews, CTIA to FCC: More spectrum for mHealth
WIRED, Wireless group tells FCC: Show us the spectrum
Broadcasting & Cable, CTIA wants more spectrum
WirelessWeek, CTIA Petitions FCC for More Spectrum
mocoNews.net, CTIA To FCC: Without More Wireless Spectrum, ‘Demand May Outpace Supply’

Debunking the Myth on 3G Speeds in the U.S.

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:37:00 -0500

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of snopes.com, but it’s a Web site that takes urban legends and either proves they’re true or debunks them.

One urban legend that I seem to keep hearing about the wireless industry that I wanted to debunk is the rumor about the speed that U.S. consumers have versus the rest of the world.

Without getting too complex, the majority of U.S. consumers use either GSM or CDMA technology. Examples of GSM carriers are AT&T and T-Mobile while CDMA carriers are Verizon Wireless and Sprint.

3G GSM is called High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA).

According to a July 2009 release from the GSM Association, the U.S. has 32 million HSPA subscribers out of the 131 million worldwide. The U.S has 7% of all GSM subscribers in the world but has 23% of all HSPA subscribers in the world.

The 3G CDMA technology is called Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO).

According to Informa Telecoms & Media Group’s June 2009 report on World Cellular Information Service (WCIS), the U.S. has 63.1 million EV-DO subscribers out of 106.78 million worldwide. The U.S. has 23% of all CDMA subscribers yet has 59% of EV-DO subscribers in the world.

And while we have the most 3G subscribers in the world, we are also leading in the evolution to 4G. Verizon Wireless has announced that they'll be launching Long Term Evolution (LTE) in up to 30 markets by 2010 while Clearwire/Sprint's WiMax service is available now in 4 cities and another 10 cities by September 2009. AT&T has also announced their HSPA network upgrades here.

I hope this clarifies and finally puts to rest the urban legend about the wireless technology speeds in the U.S. versus the rest of the world.

Insider Interview: CTIA President & CEO, Steve Largent

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:26:00 -0500

The FCC is interested in learning more about the wireless industry's competitiveness, innovation, and billing practices. CTIA President & CEO Steve Largent discusses the association's eagerness to share the great wireless story with the Commission, and emphasizes the need for additional spectrum to satisfy the growing consumer demand for wireless data services. To learn more watch this segment from our September installment of our Wonder of Wireless webcast, and take a few moments to see what else we have to offer in our September WOW.

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CTIA Responds to Flawed OECD Report on Usage and Cost for Mobile Phone Calls

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:43:00 -0500

This afternoon, we issued the following statement in response to the OECD Communications Outlook report on usage and cost for mobile phone calls:

The headline from the recently released OECD Communications Outlook report reads that Finland, the Netherlands, and Sweden have the lowest prices for mobile phone calls among OECD countries, while the highest prices were found in Canada, Spain, and the United States. But since U.S. consumers enjoy the lowest per minute rates of all of the OECD countries, what today’s OECD report really shows is that some international comparisons just don’t make sense – especially when built on flawed assumptions.

The real story is buried on page 275 of the OECD report which states:

“It is important to note again that the OECD calling pattern in the basket can be significantly different than common calling profiles in a specific country. For example, the high-usage OECD basket includes 1,680 outgoing voice calls per year while users in the United States average 9,600 minutes of voice calls (combined incoming and outgoing) per year. In this case the basket provides the cost of buying exactly the calls and messages in the OECD basket rather than what may be considered a ‘typical’ bundle in the market.”

Since the average U.S. calling profile is nearly three times greater than the OECD’s “high usage” basket (and, in fact, the average U.S. calling profile is nearly six times greater than the OECD’s “average” usage basket), it is no surprise that most other sources show the price per-call (or price per-MOU) in the United States is the lowest among the OECD countries.

How did the OECD get it so wrong?

Only by picking such unrepresentative "representative" call packages, could the OECD have reached such a result. For example, the OECD defines a “medium use” customer as someone making 780 minutes of calls a year, and sending 600 SMS and 8 MMS messages a year. And the report says that based on their methodology, a U.S. customer would pay $53 a month in order to get that level of service. But that assumed “medium” basket works out to about 63 minutes, 50 SMS messages, and less than one MMS message a month. That just doesn’t reflect reality.

CTIA’s semi-annual survey shows that the average wireless consumer uses around 760 minutes a month, and over 400 text messages a month. Even if we only count half of those minutes as outgoing minutes (to mirror the OECD assumption), that’s still six times as many minutes as the OECD methodology assumes. Plus, the CTIA survey showed that the average monthly consumer bill is $50.07. Moreover, since the most recent CTIA survey, a number of unlimited voice and text message plans have been introduced by U.S. wireless companies providing U.S. consumers with even greater value. For example, Tracfone offers its “Straight Talk” plan of unlimited minutes and text, nationwide, any time, for $45 a month, and Boost has a $50 a month plan that offers users unlimited talk, text, web and walkie talkie service.

When you look at the price American consumers actually pay for their wireless service, our per minute rates are the lowest of all the OECD countries.

US Wireless Ranks #1

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:29:00 -0500

Third-party reports & government statistics paint a clear picture of the U.S. having the best wireless market of any in the world. A recent CTIA ex parte filed with the FCC details the most competitive wireless industry of any developed nation, as American consumers enjoy the lowest-cost-per-minute, nearly the highest-minutes-of-use, as well as numerous choices in handsets & applications. To learn more watch this segment from our August installment of our Wonder of Wireless webcast, and take a few moments to see what else we have to offer in our August WOW.

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Wireless at Work - Fighting Crime with Wireless

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:37:00 -0500

The Clearwater Police Department knows wireless technology is a great tool in their efforts to make the city as safe as possible. Cutting-edge wireless technology keeps field officers better-informed, saves valuable time, provides real-time access to information, and creates interoperable communication with neighboring public safety agencies. To learn more watch this segment from our August installment of our Wonder of Wireless webcast, and take a few moments to see what else we have to offer in our August WOW.

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Wireless Heroes

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:06:00 -0500

Wireless technology and fast-thinking combine to save lives every day in America. The Wireless Foundation presents Wireless Samaritan VITA awards to citizens who have used their wireless device in an emergency situation, and some of them talk about their incidents and how wireless came to the rescue. To learn more watch this segment from our July installment of our Wonder of Wireless webcast, and take a few moments to see what else we have to offer in our July WOW.

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Wireless Parking: San Francisco Treat!

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:23:00 -0500

Motorists in downtown San Francisco are participating in a pilot project that allows them to use their wireless devices to locate empty parking spaces on city streets. This novel program is designed to reduce carbon emissions, traffic congestion, and save valuable time. To learn more watch this segment from our July installment of our Wonder of Wireless webcast, and take a few moments to see what else we have to offer in our July WOW.

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CTIA-The Wireless Association® Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Fri, 22 May 2009 08:53:00 -0500

May 23rd marks the “Silver Anniversary” for CTIA-The Wireless Association®. From the “car” phone to the smartphone, there’s no doubt that the wireless industry has seen a remarkable transformation in the last 25 years.

With fewer than 20 member companies, CTIA was originally called the “Cellular Communications Industry Association” and was officially incorporated on May 23, 1984.

The wireless landscape in the U.S. was very different 25 years ago. Here’s a brief snapshot of what wireless looked like in May 1984:

Less than 50,000 wireless subscribers in America.
Wireless service was only available in six U.S. cities.
Consumers paid more than $2,000 for a cellular device.
First portable cell phone models, or “brick” phones, weighed nearly two pounds and had only around 30 minutes of talk time.

Fast forward to today and CTIA-The Wireless Association® has more than 300 member companies. These companies represent 87% of the total U.S. population – or 270 million + wireless subscribers – making it one of the fastest growing and competitive industries in history. In addition, consumers in today’s marketplace can:

Purchase a handset for less than $100.
Choose from more than 630 wireless devices.
Pay an average of only $50 per month for service.

From 1984 to the 3G broadband world of 2009, wireless has evolved from simple voice communications to a new era of data transmission and democratization of communications that has transformed the way we work, play and live.

The wireless industry continues to meet the increasing consumer demand for advanced wireless services, as indicated by record-breaking subscribers and an impressive array of usage and wireless statistics.

Cheers to the last 25 years of impressive growth and innovation in the world of wireless! We are looking forward to many more.