WASHINGTON-Accenting its message with pastel-colored beanbag mobile phones, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association told Capitol Hill last week that competition is king.
The trade association again delivered a set of nine stuffed phones-representing the number of potential wireless licensees in a market-to members of Congress, other policy-makers and the news media as part of its second annual Lobby Day.
More importantly, CTIA was able to say that subscribership numbers are up and minutes of use are up, but the cost to use those minutes is down.
CTIA estimated about 90.7 million people in the nation are wireless subscribers, an increase of 16.8 million subscribers from the previous year.
In addition to more subscribers, customers are using their phones more for less, said CTIA President Thomas Wheeler. Airtime usage was up 38.5 percent to 180 minutes, while the average subscriber bill was only up $1.81, Wheeler said.
The message seems to be catching on.
During a Lobby Day luncheon, Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) announced the formation of the Congressional Wireless Telecommunications Caucus as a congressional member organization. The wireless caucus is a group of members of Congress who will work with industry to push its agenda. Pickering and Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.) will chair the caucus in the House, along with Sens. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) in the Senate.
“This caucus will be a good forum for representatives, senators and staffers to learn more about wireless communications, which is the cutting edge of today’s technology,” said Pickering.
“Wireless has arrived on Capitol Hill. The new Congressional Wireless Telecommunications Caucus will bring a clear and strong voice to the important public policy decisions being made in Washington that directly affect American consumers and the burgeoning wireless industry,” said Wheeler.
Lobby days are a traditional method of trade associations in which constituents are connected with members of Congress to give a face to issues.
Key issues for CTIA Wireless Day this year were the repeal of the 3-percent excise tax and the uniform sourcing act, which will base customers’ state and local tax obligations on their billing address.
The uniform sourcing bill was passed by the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday.
But not all was rosy on Wireless Day. The wireless industry, which is strongly in favor of permanent normal trade relations with China, faced opposition from several labor organizations gathered at a large rally on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to not pass China NTR.
