CTIA’s annual meeting returns to New Orleans starting May 8,...
CTIA’s annual meeting returns to New Orleans starting May 8, at a time when the wireless industry faces significant challenges, especially on the spectrum front. Spectrum “has been our personal focus for two years now,” CTIA President Steve Largent said…
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in an interview Tuesday. “We're going to continue on that battle. Even though we've got the broadcast spectrum teed up we need the government spectrum to come through.” Largent was asked about the level of anxiety in the wireless industry at this stage considering concerns the outlook on spectrum has become more negative in recent months. “I think the variable that’s thrown into the mix now is not where the spectrum is coming from but when it’s going to get here,” he said. “That, more than anything else, is creating the anxiety in our industry anyway. That just speaks to the fact that we're got to keep the fire lit under the FCC moving forward on their broadband plan, keep the fire lit under the president. He has mentioned this as a high priority for his administration. And keep the fire lit under Congress to make sure these different entities are moving forward.” Addressing wireless taxes and fees is “another priority for us,” Largent said. “We're optimistic that the Senate is going to do right by consumers and pass the Wireless Tax Fairness Act, which puts a five-year moratorium on any new wireless-specific taxes or fees,” he said. The House passed its version of the legislation in November. “We're also going to urge the House and Senate to pass the Digital Goods and Services Fairness Act, basically trying to establish a national framework for how digitally downloaded items such as e-books or apps are taxed. We're working hard on those two particular tax bills right now.” Largent said he is looking forward to an exciting meeting, featuring, for the first time, afternoon keynote speeches. Among them, CNBC Mad Money host Jim Cramer is slated to interview the CEOs of the four national wireless carriers May 8 and former President Bill Clinton is to close the show May 10. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is to open the show with a morning keynote also May 8. All keynotes are being streamed, Largent noted. Last year’s spring meeting took place in March and was dominated by talk of AT&T’s proposed buy of T-Mobile, announced the weekend before. The meeting is the first CTIA has held in New Orleans since 2005, the year the city was struck by Hurricane Katrina.