International CTIA WIRELESS 2009 closed on Friday after
keynote address by former Vice President Al Gore, who emphasized that
the wireless industry is "one of the great success stories in the
American economy." The continued development of wireless infrastructure
is a key indicator fueling the communications revolution.
Gore noted that the U.S. has the most competitive wireless industry
of any nation in the world, and "because of the competition, we are
seeing a continued pulse of investment to expand the capacity of
[broadband] networks."
"While the wireless industry comprises a small portion of the
global economy, its impact is expanding rapidly," he said. "Now is the
time for business to take the lead. We have government leadership
committed to this transition now, and we have a country that is aware
and ready to make the transition. There is no upper limit to the ways
we can exploit wireless spectrum."
Addressing environmental concerns, Gore noted that wireless
technology will be one of the key tools used to solve the climate
crisis. "This is one of those rare times we all agree that the
government needs to build out a green infrastructure that will free us
from foreign oil and draw on clean energy."
Despite economic conditions, International CTIA WIRELESS continues
to be a vital resource for building relationships and promoting
innovation in the wireless industry. The show saw 34,000 attendees from
169 countries, over four days of combined conferences and exhibitions.
"Wireless is the solution to so many of the important issues we are
facing today," said Robert Mesirow, vice president and show director
for CTIA. "This show made it extremely clear that innovation in sectors
such as energy and healthcare is happening now - its real, and its
transforming business and lifestyles."
Throughout the show, companies showcased the latest high-end
devices and netbooks while developers shined with new applications
touted for new and existing storefronts, including the BlackBerry App
World, launched during RIM's keynote on Wednesday.