CWTA to provide better leadership for trade members; signs MoU with WTIA

Canada’s wireless lobby is making a strong push to support its trade members through a new partnership with its counterpart in Hong Kong. Last week, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) and the Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association (WTIA) announced an agreement to promote their respective technology companies in each others’ territory – something manufacturers and other non-PCS carrier members in the CWTA have been asking for. The deal could establish a larger presence by Canadian companies in trade shows and conferences in Hong Kong and vice versa, says Peter Barnes, president/CEO of the CWTA, adding it could make a difference as early as this year’s Communications 2002 conference and trade show in November. "There’s clearly interest on their part, so this is going to be a two-way street and I think we’ll see more exchanges between the two economies as time goes on," he tells Report on Wireless. Signing an agreement specifically with the WTIA was a calculated move, says Barnes. "(The region offers) obviously a pretty impressive market potential, not only Hong Kong, but Hong Kong as a window or a door to mainland China," he states. "This is the first memorandum of understanding (MoU) we’ve signed with an association outside of Canada and our selection of Hong Kong was strategic in that regard." While the deal opens the door to a number of opportunities for Canadian wireless companies, Barnes doesn’t expect to sign similar deals with wireless industry associations in other parts of the world in the near future. "I certainly did not want to spread our resources over a half a dozen countries, but wanted to pick one country where we had significant potential and we had an ability to deliver clear value to our members and the Canadian economy," he explains. "And Hong Kong-China fits the bill." Wireless lobby broadening its mandate The CWTA has long been the wireless industry’s voice on regulatory and policy matters before both of its regulators, the CRTC and Industry Canada. But other than its annual conference and trade show, promoting the interests and providing leadership to its smaller trade members, on an international level, hasn’t been its highest priority in the face of pressing issues facing PCS and other large members. Barnes admits that the association has been trying to do a better job on that front. "The trade members certainly looked to us – this is sort of standard fare for any association – for more value from their membership fees, and frankly we’re trying to do that as well," he says. "So we certainly had a meeting of minds that we should do as much as we can in that regard." The transformation of the wireless lobby began last year, when it formed the Wireless Internet Council, bringing a whole gamut of wireless content providers under its fold (RoW, June 11/01). In an interview last year, Garner Bornstein, chair of the council and CEO of Airborne Entertainment Inc., said the wireless industry is changing and the CWTA should mirror that evolution. "We’re not just establishing a communication network now, we’re now becoming enablers of a whole variety of content, services and transactions," he told Report on Wireless last June.

CWTA to provide better leadership for trade members; signs MoU with WTIA

News | 03/18/2002 5:00 am EST

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