The CTIA Show was in Orlando. I was going to go. I had an Expo pass and I was heading to Orlando to speak at the CLEC Summit anyway. But I didn't go. Here's why:
- I'm in the Indirect Channel. We do not get to sell cool phones. I'm not a gadget guy. Who wants to see what I can't sell and won't buy?
- It's a show aimed at the press and The Street. It's a lot of bluster. The problem with an association whose mission is lobbying is that the shows are boring and everyone pats themselves on the back. Nothing Remarkable Happens.
- I did NOT want to hear all the speculation about the Ma Bell-T merger! That's all we will talk about for a year. Sprint will focus on the merger - instead of on how to fix its own problems and become the AVIS of cell service.
- I am sick of hearing about 3G/4G/LTE. Who cares? As someone paying $100+ a month, I just want to be able to make and receive voice calls (that I can hear!), texts and emails. That's it. For all the bluster of 3G, it's still like dial-up much of the time. It's not like any carrier guarantees a speed. It's all marketing bluster, where they don't even bother to say "Up to" any more. [Seth Godin wrote a book called All Marketers Are Liars; it doesn't have to be that way, but our industry tends that way.]
I'm sure the show was fun, but I didn't hear much buzz from it. I guess CTIA should have given me a press pass.
