Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Wheeler On Wheeler: The WDN Exit Interview

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 05 Nov 2003 01:29:55 -0500

Wheeler On Wheeler: The WDN Exit Interview

Nov 05, 2003

Tom Wheeler, who led the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet
Association out of its startup stage and into the full-blown powerhouse
it is today, is sleeping late this week. He walked out of his office
last Friday after giving Wireless Data News his last official interview
as CTIA's go-to guy for the past 10 years. His office now is occupied by
new president and CEO Steve Largent, the former Oklahoma congressman and
NFL Football Hall of Famer who was hired by CTIA's board last August.
Wheeler told WDN he is taking his time working out the next phase of his
career, saying that while he isn't circulating his resume at this time,
he is "trolling."

"I'm first going to take a deep breath, and then I'm not going to rush
off into anything," Wheeler says. "I see my life in three buckets:
Bucket One is not-for-profit activities I believe in and I hope to get
more involved in. Bucket Two will be [sitting on some] corporate boards
and helping folks with strategy. And Bucket Three? I think this industry
still has some excitement in it, and I'm going to look around to see
what the next challenges are." Wheeler is maintaining office space at
the CTIA site in Washington, D.C. for the foreseeable future as he
weighs his options, and he spoke with WDN about the industry at large,
the future of wireless data in particular and what he thinks his legacy
will be.

WDN: It's been a long ride. What's the best thing you did while driving
the CTIA bus?

Wheeler: It's hard to parse it out that way. I look at it in multiple
kinds of categories. On the policy side, the 1993 Budget Act, getting
more spectrum and deregulating the wireless industry were turning
points. If you look at the 'most out of left field continuing challenge'
category, it is the whole health-effects issue. I'm proud of the way the
industry has handled this issue responsibly, and that science has been
vindicated by the courts. If you look at structural kinds of things
inside of CTIA, I'm proud of how we first brought in the manufacturers
and then brought in the Internet companies. I'm proud of how we started
Wireless I.T.; we now have two of the top 50 trade shows in America.
There have been some wonderful experiences. It's been a terrific ride,
it's been a fabulous experience, and I've been incredibly blessed, so
let's move on. I'm happy at what I look back at.

WDN: If you could go back and do something differently, what would it
be.

Wheeler: I don't live my life that way. My hero is Ulysses Grant. One of
his peculiarities was that he never would turn around and walk back to
something. For instance, he was looking for a house, and he passed the
house, which now was behind him. He would not turn around and walk back.
He had to go around the block and approach it again. That's carrying
things a little too far, but I don't go back and re-guess what I've
done. I just learn from it and move on.

WDN: Looking at wireless data, where do you see the industry moving
during the next year and then five years after that?

Wheeler: Wireless data is heading towards the ceiling. For years, we've
been saying 'it's only 18 months away,' and it really is here now. When
you look at the kinds of numbers that say the wireless data industry did
$700 million in revenue so far this year, that's incredible growth. A
year ago, we had some $400 million and the year before that we had $100
million. That segment of our industry is real, and it's here.

WDN: Whom do you think the wireless data leaders will shake out to be?

Wheeler: I'm not going there, but nice try. I will say something
philosophically, though. Everyone talks about the killer app, and who
would have imagined that a way of auctioning off Pez dispensers to
hobbyists would become eBay? The thing we've learned about the Internet
space is that the people will determine what the hot thing is, and the
search for the killer app is in vain. Our great example of this is SMS,
which was developed as a back-panel diagnostic system. When the people
discovered it, look what it turned into!

WDN: Around what will the next congressional/FCC battles center?

Wheeler: They say that privacy is the civil-rights issue of the 21st
century, but we'll see. The policy issues will continue to be driven by
the mistaken belief on the part of regulators that they know better than
the market. To protect the market, they think it's necessary to go in
and make decisions that the market, even thought it's imperfect and
doesn't operated in the smoothest and most attractive way, is better
suited to make.

WDN: Do you foresee any hardcore data privacy issues with the Patriot
Act or with CALEA, or do you think those in power are wise enough not to
abuse such power?

Wheeler: I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

WDN: What do carriers need to do to really beef up their offerings to
attract larger ARPU?

Wheeler: I think we're already seeing it happen. In Europe, 20 percent
of wireless carriers' revenues is coming from data, and here it's 2
percent. I'm also a strong believer in wireless taking on wireline, and
I think we're going to continue to see the transformation of the space.

WDN: With local number portability becoming reality later this month,
does it affect the wireless data user in any significant way, or are
domestic carrier offerings pretty homogenized?

Wheeler: I think what you're going to see is LNP driving uniqueness, and
data will be a part of this.

WDN: As far as your future plans are concerned, are there any political
or literary aspirations?

Wheeler: I've been supporting John Kerry and will continue to do so. I'm
also working on another book right now, dealing with history and
technology. Writing things is a terribly stimulating but lonely
experience, but one that is very fulfilling, even if folks don't buy it.
When I think of my three buckets, I put writing in the nonprofit
category.

WDN: How do see the industry viewing you and your legacy?

Wheeler: I don't know how Tom Wheeler is going to be remembered. The
Greeks, when someone died, did not write an obituary. They did not talk
about what he had done. There was only one issue: did he have passion? I
identify with that.

>>Tom Wheeler, 202/785-0081 (for the time being)<<

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