Another trade show year has begun. Oh, another calendar year has begun, too, but the 12 months and four seasons that characterize it are so less significant to the telecom industry's health and outlook than the four seasons of our trade show year.
Those seasons are, of course, International Consumer Electronics Show season, in which those of us from colder and gloomier climates converge on Las Vegas for gadgets galore; CTIA Spring convention season, in which even the wireline world increasingly is following the big news of the broadening wireless industry; NXTcomm season, in which the summer wind comes blowin' in, and carries with it thoughts of romance between the telecom, entertainment and wireless industries, to various degrees of success; and finally, fall, in which we try to attend as many small conferences and secondary spin-offs of other major show as we can on our rapidly-dwindling travel budgets.
Right now, to a U.S. telecom company with wireline interests, there are three key trade shows: CES, CTIA Spring (Wireless 2008) and NXTcomm. 3GSM World Congress might be the world's largest wireless show and other events like VON or the conferences sponsored by various trade publications may attract interest, but to my mind, those three events are pretty much even when it comes to setting the tone for the telecom industry. As CES convenes in Las Vegas this week, FierceTelecom wants to know what you think. Which telecom trade show do you feel best sets the tone for the telecom industry? Take our poll now at FierceTelecom.com.
A look back at our previous poll: I admire your bandwidth optimism, FierceTelecom readers. In our recent poll asking whether or not you believed recent bandwidth investments and exuberance were jumping the gun and leading to another bandwidth glut, 74% of a respondents said the investments are warranted and the need for big bandwidth is real this time. Only 26% of respondents said they were concerned where all the excitement is heading. - Dan