It’s time to count blessings again, and here are a few things I am thankful for that relate to wireless:
c I am thankful that most cars don’t have “Hang up your cell phone and drive” bumper stickers. As much as I hate these bumper stickers, I also hate to be distracted by work when I’m driving, usually running a few minutes late, talking on my phone, explaining why I am running late. (I wonder if that’s how John Kerry feels about Bush bumper stickers? And vice versa.)
c I am thankful I don’t live in South Dakota, Pennsylvania or California, where governments do not seem to understand the limits of taxing wireless services.
c I am thankful that I did not spend the last year working with AT&T Wireless Services Inc. on a contract that I knew could be tossed out the window the minute Cingular Wireless L.L.C. bought AWS. (And I have empathy for all of you who did. Hey, Cingular is bound to keep some of the services. Keep your chin up.)
c I am thankful that Nextel Communications Inc. and Verizon Wireless really aren’t the best of friends. Face it, it’s fun to watch their squabbling. In the latest iteration, the advertising division of the Better Business Bureau commented on a complaint by Nextel about Verizon’s advertising claims about its IN-Network calling. When the two carriers announced in October that they would drop their lawsuits against each other, the world seemed a little less colorful. Now it’s back in 1-megapixel quality.
c I am thankful that Fox, Disney and Time Warner, Nickelodeon and a host of other content providers are getting into wireless. Now we get to write about gambling, porn, sports and music. Who knew?
c Having said that, I am thankful that although we get to write about the intersection of wireless and the music industry, there is little reason for me to think that anyone attending a wireless awards show will get stabbed. (As opposed to music awards shows, where people do actually brandish knives and use them, witnessed by the brawl at the Vibe awards last week.) Writing about an industry full of engineers has its advantages. Even in the most heated battles between TDMA and CDMA, the duelers used their brainpower to outperform the competition.
c I am thankful that the next CTIA is not in Atlanta and not on my daughter’s birthday.
c I am thankful that 2005 looks to be a good year for wireless, despite anti-cell-phone bumper stickers and unfair taxation.
