CTIA Keynote Liveblog

Mar 22, 2011, 9:35 AM: That's a wrap!

Mar 22, 2011, 9:31 AM: Dan Hesse: "*IF* Microsoft-Nokia partnership is successful..."

Mar 22, 2011, 9:29 AM: Cramer to Verizon's Mead: Why not buy Netflix?

Mar 22, 2011, 9:28 AM: Sprint's Dan Hesse: "We agree with NYTimes." (AT&T-Mobile bad for consumers.) Verizon's Dan Mead: "It's an overstatement."

Mar 22, 2011, 9:26 AM: De La Vega promotes AT&T-Mobile deal as way to launch 4G. Dan Hesse: "I thought you already had 4G?" Huge laugh.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:25 AM: Cramer: NYTimes says AT&T-Mobile bad* for consumers. CEOs says... (well you know what AT&T says, and De La Vega giving same answer.) * Bold text corrected Mar 25.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:24 AM: Sprint has huge subsidies, and Dan Hesse says they will go up, to pay for more expensive phones without raising up-front prices for consumers. Dan says this is offset by higher ARPU and lower churn. Admits that Verizon and AT&T have scale advantages.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:20 AM: Hmm. Dan Hesse suggesting that cable companies are still serious about launching MVNO service.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:19 AM: Dan promoting Kyocera Echo for the second time today on stage. Talking about it as step toward phones with flexible screens that unfurl into tablets.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:18 AM: "Why will anyone need cable TV if 4G is so good?"

Mar 22, 2011, 9:17 AM: Jim Cramer mad about his video freezing when using mobile data. Asking AT&T CEO why. He reminded Jim that Jim uses Verizon. Huge laugh from audience.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:15 AM: Verizon did not consider buying T-Mobile.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:15 AM: Verizon feels confident about its spectrum position.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:14 AM: Dan Hesse concerned about AT&T-Mobile deal "stifling innovation". That got rare applause.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:13 AM: De La Vega: AT&T wants T-Mobile for spectrum, to address growth. Data growth was 8000% over last 4 years.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:12 AM: Dan Hesse on stage promoting "simplicity" of unlimited data plans "for now", but "monitoring usage closely."

Mar 22, 2011, 9:11 AM: Now talking about Netflix, other video, and how that relates to unlimited mobile data. Will it stay unlimited?

Mar 22, 2011, 9:10 AM: Jim Cramer wants to know why his Verizon bill is so high. Ha! I wish I could ask the CEO that question face-to-face.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:08 AM: How did US catch up to take global lead in mobile tech? Dan Hesse gives all the credit to Apple iPhone and AT&T. Wow!

Mar 22, 2011, 9:07 AM: Consensus: yes, mobile plays a big role in giving power to the people, to demand freedom.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:04 AM: Jim Cramer to Dan Hesse: "Did your industry bring down the regime in Egypt?"

Mar 22, 2011, 9:03 AM: Jim Cramer - of Mad Money - has taken the stage to introduce the panel of CEOs.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:02 AM: He's urging people to donate to the Red Cross - via phone of course - for Japan.

Mar 22, 2011, 9:00 AM: Steve Largent - President & CEO of CTIA - has taken the stage.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:59 AM: Claiming that for every dollar spent on spectrum at auction, $10 are generated for the economy. $30 billion in spectrum auctions = $300 billion in benefit.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:57 AM: These voluntary incentive auctions could raise $30 billion (US gov't take, or total shared with broadcasters? ...not clear from speech.)

Mar 22, 2011, 8:55 AM: Talking about ways to free more spectrum, including two-way voluntary incentive auctions, where TV broadcasters could put licenses up for auction run by FCC, and receive a portion of the proceeds. Supported by President Obama.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:51 AM: Talking now about next-generation 911, including text messaging and MMS.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:51 AM: Hmm. Talking about major priorities of FCC, some points for AT&T-Mobile merger, some against. For: "removing roadblocks to robust 4G deployment." Against: "ensuring competitive market for consumers."

Mar 22, 2011, 8:48 AM: Analysts predict no les than 35x increase in mobile broadband usage in next five years.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:47 AM: Back to spectrum. Talking about how critical it is to maintaining the growth of mobile, and in turn the growth of the economy.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:45 AM: Tablets are a recurring theme in Genachowski's speech. Talking about unexpected success of iPad, and how kids can replace textbooks with a connected tablet.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:42 AM: Talking policy: the National Mobile Broadband Plan, and how mobile fits in.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:39 AM: Genachowski's comments so far are predictable. Mobile is growing. Already looking forward to 5G. US must stay globally competitive. Mobile tech is now critical to our whole economy.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:36 AM: Dan Hesse's introduction of the FCC chairman praised his leadership on ensuring competitiveness. Heh.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:34 AM: FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has taken the stage. First comment: No comment on AT&T-Mobile.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:31 AM: Dan Hesse is making the plea for more spectrum from the FCC.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:29 AM: Talking about universal chargers. By January 2012, all US phones will use the standard micro-USB connector. Applause.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:27 AM: On to green (eco-friendly) mobile tech. M2M technology helps with smart grid tech, and electric car chargers.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:24 AM: Very cool new Android app coming for Sprint phones - a parental control - that locks the phone when going over 10 mph. Callers get an automated message saying the person is driving.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:23 AM: Now talking about distracted driving.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:22 AM: Currently, 4% of cars on the road in the US are "connected." Expected to grow, naturally.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:20 AM: Now Hesse's talking about M2M (machine to machine) applications. Important, but boring.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:18 AM: I mean, we get it. Mobile is big and growing. Considering the audience, he's preaching to the choir.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:17 AM: He's just spouting a barrage of stats about the growth of mobile in general.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:14 AM: Hmm. He's harping on the success of "North American based platforms", including Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and Palm. It's an interesting distinction, and clearly a knock against Europe-developed platforms... Symbian.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:12 AM: After other parts of the world leading in mobile in past years, now with 4G, the US is leading. We also have the most 3G/data users.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:11 AM: Next, Japan. DoCoMo has all but 1000 cell towers back up and running. 2.6 million raised via mobile for Red Cross effort in Japan.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:10 AM: First topic: role of cell phones in revolutions in Bahrain, etc.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:08 AM: Starting off with Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint.

Mar 22, 2011, 8:07 AM: The CTIA keynote is officially starting, as is our liveblog.

Mar 22, 2011, 7:55 AM: Someone is playing Angry Birds on the 30-foot screen. I'm jealous.

Mar 22, 2011, 7:53 AM: I'm seated in the front row and ready, even the intro music makes me deaf. Things should get going in ten minutes or so.