Event Report: CTIA Wireless 2010
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Published:
Week 13
April 2010 -
Image Source:
CTIA
News
The International CTIA Wireless 2010 show concluded on 25 March in Las Vegas. The show was in line with our predictions, offering a steady flow of announcements mostly related to carriers and devices, with a handful of notable applications and services also launching. As expected, the show offered few surprises and no "blockbuster" announcements. However, the event's significance lies in the increasing importance of the US as an indicator of global trends in next-generation mobile networks and services.
Key themes from this year's CTIA event included:
- Carriers elaborated plans for next-generation network deployments against a backdrop of uncertainty about how pricing will evolve and how the competitive market structure in the US will develop.
- Network operators generally came out in favour of the National Broadband Plan put forward by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which will make additional spectrum available to spur innovation and economic growth. They also cautioned against excessive governmental interference in the market.
- Launches of new Android-based devices saw the platform expand to address lower-end and relatively niche market segments. These launches were complemented by flagship exclusive devices at the high end.
- There were a handful of service announcements, with AT&T's cloud services and Yahoo's innovative Sketch-A-Search application standing out as significant.
