CTIA Speakers Range from Bureaucracy to Visionary

Captions and Photos by Wayne Rash / eWEEK

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said that he was pleased with the results of last month’s 700MHz auction, noting that portions of the spectrum would remain open for all users. However, he bemoaned the fact that the public service portions of the band remained unsold because the bids failed to meet the price the government wanted. Martin also announced (to much applause) that he was asking the Commission to dismiss the Skype petition restricting users’ ability to choose their own software to connect with wireless networks.

After a talk extolling the many accomplishments of the Virgin companies, including tourist spaceflight to begin in 18 months, Virgin Chairman Richard Branson announced that Virgin and Google had teamed up to create a colonization attempt on Mars. He said that he planned a spacecraft that would hold 30 people, plus animals and seeds that would travel to the Red Planet and start the first self-sustaining colony there. Later, Google admitted that it was an April Fool’s joke.

Richard Branson invited anyone in the CTIA audience who wanted to volunteer for the one-way trip to Mars to join him on the stage. He got enough of a response to fill the seats on the flight.

Robert Bach, president of Entertainment and Devices for Microsoft, introduced Windows Mobile 6.1, which he says will be easier to use and faster than the present version.

Robert Bach from Microsoft shows off the features of Windows Mobile 6.1, which include a new interface and new applications that make it easier to use.

Sony Ericsson announced that its new device, the Experia, would run Windows Mobile 6.1. It has a version of the WM 6.1 interface that makes it resemble an iPhone.

Sprint Nextel, meanwhile, introduced its new challenge to the iPhone, called the Instinct. This means it’s really easy to figure out, unlike some previous Sprint products.

Sprint Nextel Chairman and CEO Dan Hesse shows off the Sprint Instinct. Hesse announced that it will use WiMax and its 4G solution, which he says will put Sprint at least two years ahead of the competition. Hesse did not announce the highly anticipated deal with it and Clearwire, Comcast and Time Warner.