WIRELESS, BROADBAND MORE PROMINENT AT CES CONVENTION

December 30, 2002 |Miscellaneous

Broadband, wireless and govt. regulation will continue to take more prominent role at CES Jan. 8-12 at Las Vegas Convention Center. Organizer, CEA, is predicting about 100 federal and state govt. officials will attend or speak at convention, making it what it says will be largest govt. contingent ever to attend nongovt. trade show. Digital rights management, HDTV and other consumer technologies remain important.

Although schedules remain fluid, more than dozen federal legislators are expected to attend convention, with majority of them expected to participate in congressional panel at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 10. Most of govt. officials also are expected at invitation-only dinner at Bellagio same night. Among lawmakers expected at convention are Sen. Ensign (R-Nev.) and Reps. Barton (R-Tex.), Berkley (R-Nev.), Clay (D-Mo.), Davis (R-Va.), Doolittle (R-Cal.), Gillmor (R-O.), Issa (R-Cal.), Pastor (D- Ariz.), Ramstad (R-Minn.), Reyes (D-Tex.), Thompson (D-Miss.), Weller (R-Ill.).

Details aren’t final on FCC panel scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Jan. 9, but FCC Chmn. Powell is likely to do one-on-one interview with CEA Pres. Gary Shapiro. FCC Comrs. Adelstein and Martin, as well as NTIA Dir. Nancy Victory, are expected to attend convention, but don’t have scheduled speeches. Other govt. attendees are expected to include FTC Comrs. Sheila Anthony and Mozelle Thompson, Commerce Dept. Undersecy.-Technology Benjamin Wu, and Commerce Dept. Undersecy.-Intellectual Property Edward Rogan.

Among consumer electronics panels during CES are: (1) Update on ATSC’s DTV activities, 10:30 a.m. Jan. 11. (2) HDTV update, noon Jan. 9. (3) 500-channel DTV universe, 10:30 a.m. Jan. 9. (4) Competition between satellite and cable, 10:30 a.m. Jan. 9. (5) Subscription video-on-demand, set-top boxes and DTV, noon Jan. 10. (6) Digital music delivery, 10:30 a.m. Jan. 10.

Wireless sessions include: (1) Wireless supersession at 1:30 Jan. 10, including Audiovox CEO Philip Christopher, Nextel CEO Timothy Donahue, Sprint PCS CEO Len Lauer, Kyocera Wireless CEO Skip Speaks. (2) Series of marketing-related sessions 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 11. (3) Sessions on new wireless technologies at 3 p.m. Jan. 9 and 10:30 a.m. Jan. 10. (4) Wireless gaming, 10:30 a.m. Jan. 9.

Among Internet and digital rights panels are: (1) Digital download supersession at 10:30 Jan. 11, with MPAA Exec. Vp Scott Dinsdale, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and an RIAA speaker. (2) Gaming supersession at 10:30 Jan. 10, including Internet and wireless gaming. (3) Digital rights management, 10:30 a.m. Jan. 9 and 1:30 p.m. Jan. 10. (4) Internet piracy, 3 p.m. Jan. 9. (5) Movie distribution via Internet, 3 p.m. Jan. 10. (6) Economics of Internet content distribution, noon Jan. 11. (7) Competition among Internet, broadcast and cable networks, and satellite, noon Jan. 9. (8) Internet, satellite and other subscription services, 1:30 p.m. Jan. 9. (9) “Promise of the Internet -- 3 Years Later,” 1:30 p.m. Jan. 10. (10) Digital home recording, 1:30 p.m. Jan. 9.

Broadband panels include: (1) Infrastructure for broadband entertainment delivery, 3 p.m. Jan. 10. (2) Broadband reality check, 10:30 Jan. 9.

Other sessions include: (1) Panels on consumer electronics recycling, 10:30 a.m. Jan. 11, and legislation on energy efficiency, 11:30 a.m. Jan. 11. EPA Administrator Christine Whitman is expected to attend convention. (2) Keynotes by Microsoft’s Bill Gates at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8, Intel’s Craig Barrett at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 9, and Cingular Wireless’ Stephen Carter, 9 a.m. Jan. 10. (3) Telematics, 10:30 a.m. Jan. 11. (4) Satellite Bcstg. & Communications Assn. Jan. 10.