From the Keynote Stage to the Exhibit Floor to the Educational Sessions, Convergence Reigns as one of the Hottest Topics at the Upcoming Wireless Show

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the lines between wireless and wireline providers blur, the issue of network convergence becomes more critical as the industries work toward ubiquitous broadband. International CTIA WIRELESS 2009^® offers a comprehensive program with ample opportunity to debate key issues around convergence and to gather intelligence on new technologies. The show takes place April 1-3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, where attendees can see the latest in convergence technologies first hand on the show floor.

"This is an important time in our industry for convergence, given the availability of new 700 MHz spectrum and commitments from leading carriers to build out new high-speed, broadband networks," said Robert Mesirow, vice president and show director for CTIA. "At this year's show, you will see a global presence of companies innovating in the areas of fixed mobile convergence and infrastructure build-out; and we've added several conference sessions providing further proof that this is a popular and necessary topic for our industry."

CTIA will present a full conference track focused on strategies for technology integration between existing and new wireless and wireline operations. The Blueprint of Convergence track, comprised of ten individual sessions, starts April 1 with a plenary session titled, "The Converged Network - How We Get There from Here," where we expect to hear important roadmap announcements planned for the next 12 months. For complete session information, including schedule and speakers, visit: http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctiawireless.com%2Fattendees%2Feducational_sessions.cfm%23The_Blueprint_of_Convergence&esheet=5911334&lan=en_US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctiawireless.com%2Fattendees%2Feducational_sessions.cfm%23The_Blueprint_of_Convergence&index=1.

Keynotes, co-located conferences and special sessions on the topic of broadband convergence are plentiful at this year's show. Verizon Communications Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg will deliver a keynote address on April 1, where we expect to learn more about Verizon's plans for LTE infrastructure build out. On April 2, Ben Wolff, CEO of Clearwire Corporation, will take the keynote stage to discuss their deployment of the first 4G mobile WiMAX network and new Clear^TM service introduced earlier this year. For more information about this year's keynote lineup, visit: http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctiawireless.com%2Fevents%2Fevent_details.cfm%3FcalID%3D804&esheet=5911334&lan=en_US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctiawireless.com%2Fevents%2Fevent_details.cfm%3FcalID%3D804&index=2.

The International Engineering Consortium (IEC), best known for facilitating global relationships and programming for the wireline space, is bringing the "Broadband World Forum (BBWF) Unwired" to International CTIA WIRELESS. BBWF Unwired will feature more than 100 speakers in 22 sessions, addressing everything from deployment timelines to revenue implications and the political aspect of merging fixed and mobile divisions. A complete schedule can be found here: http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctiawireless.com%2Fevents%2Fevent_details.cfm%3FcalID%3D810&esheet=5911334&lan=en_US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctiawireless.com%2Fevents%2Fevent_details.cfm%3FcalID%3D810&index=3.

"The partnership with CTIA is both timely and important," said John Janowiak, president of IEC. "We are taking the best of our wireline relationships and programming from around the globe and unplugging it-adding top wireless carriers from around the world. There are a number of hard decisions being made to take broadband to the next level. This program provides a platform for these conversations to take place and to make sure the industry stays on track and facilitates positive change."

The BRIC conference at CTIA will focus on mobile opportunities in Brazil, Russia, India and China, also known as the BRIC economies, the four largest emerging markets in the world. Operator-billed data revenues are projected to increase from $26.2 billion in 2008 to more than $48.3 billion by 2013 for these markets, according to Juniper Research. Details about the BRIC Conference can be found here: http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fctiawireless.com%2Fevents%2Fevent_details.cfm%3FcalID%3D806&esheet=5911334&lan=en_US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fctiawireless.com%2Fevents%2Fevent_details.cfm%3FcalID%3D806&index=4.

"IP Backhaul," a special session presented by Telecommunications Media Group, will take place April 1 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Open to all CTIA registrants, this session will explore the technologies and tradeoffs for deploying next-gen IP/Ethernet wireline and microwave backhaul solutions.

"The Path to 4G," hosted by FierceWireless, is back for its second year as a CTIA special session. Taking place April 1 from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., this series of interactive panel discussions and keynote presentations will cut through the hype and focus on the realities of mobile operator 4G deployment plans.

Note to journalists: Pre-registration for qualified media can be found at this link: http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fregistration.itnintl.com%2Fctiawireless09%2FregOnline%2Fpress.aspx&esheet=5911334&lan=en_US&anchor=https%3A%2F%2Fregistration.itnintl.com%2Fctiawireless09%2FregOnline%2Fpress.aspx&index=5.

About International CTIA WIRELESS 2009^®

As the largest wireless show in the world representing a $1 trillion global industry, International CTIA WIRELESS brings together all industries advanced by wireless technology for three days of intense learning and networking. Visit http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctiashow.com&esheet=5911334&lan=en_US&anchor=www.ctiashow.com&index=6.

CTIA -The Wireless Association^® is the international association for the wireless telecommunications industry, representing carriers, manufacturers and wireless Internet providers. CTIA is also recognized as the producer of two annual technology events: International CTIA WIRELESS 2009 takes place in Las Vegas, April 1-3; International CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2009 takes place in San Diego, October 7-9. For more association information, visit http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctia.org&esheet=5911334&lan=en_US&anchor=www.ctia.org&index=7.

Contacts

Media Strategies for CTIA
Cheryl Delgreco, 617-723-4004
cdelgreco@msipr.com
or
Karen Blondell, 310-325-6405
kblondell@msipr.com