WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 14, 2012) —The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leading association representing the manufacturers and suppliers of high-tech communications networks, last week gathered leading executives and technologists at its flagship conference—TIA 2012: Inside the Network, held in Dallas—to explore critical challenges and innovations shaping the future of investment in broadband networks.

TIA also announced that next year’s conference and exhibition will be held in Washington, D.C. in October 2013.  While the event will continue to target the engineers, product managers and industry executives concerned with the network, the new venue will allow TIA and its members to more directly reach key public policy and regulatory influencers. The conference will be themed “TIA 2013: The Future of the Network” and will take place at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on the Potomac, minutes from Washington, D.C., October 8-10.

“The second annual TIA conference was successful because members came together to discuss the challenges of the future of the network,” said TIA President Grant Seiffert. “We had tremendous participation from leading ICT companies, speeches from some of the industry’s top executives, and in-depth discussion of the most important issues facing the network.”

Seiffert continued, “TIA 2012 was an opportunity to hear about the incredible innovation taking place in our industry. While TIA companies continue to grow and lead in innovation, the insatiable appetite for high-speed wireless devices and services is placing unprecedented demands on the network. One of the main messages of TIA 2012 is that, without the network there are no devices or services.”

TIA has produced significant video segments from the 2012 conference.  To view the videos, visit: www.tianow.org.

TIA 2012: Inside the Network featured presentations from more than 100 top ICT executives over three days.  Among the leading speakers were AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson, Verizon CTO Tony Melone, FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell, Alcatel-Lucent Executive Vice President Robert Vrij and CenturyLink CTO Matt Beal. The conference included in-depth educational sessions covering emerging challenges, innovations and trends in a range of critical topics, including security and privacy, M2M, cloud optimization, green ICT and more. TIA Standards Committees met throughout the week, including TR-41, TR-42, TR-8, all of which worked on important contributions to the designs and growth of the network.

“Our members are high tech manufacturers that are driving innovation and creating jobs,” continued Seiffert. “These companies are at the forefront of ensuring the industry can keep up with dramatically growing demands on the network. This challenge will be addressed in even more detail next year when TIA takes the conference to Washington to make it clear that government and industry must work together to create an environment that encourages continued investment and innovation.”

To learn more about TIA 2012: Inside the Network, or to view photos and videos from this event, visit: www.tia2012.org. Follow TIA 2012 on twitter using hash tag #TIA12. TIA’s twitter handles are TIANOW and TIA Events.

Sponsors of TIA 2012: Inside the Network included Alcatel-Lucent (Host Sponsor), ADTRAN, AT&T, Cisco, Dell, Ericsson, GENBAND, IBM, ILS Technology, Infinera, Intel, Juniper Networks, McAfee, Nokia Siemens Networks, Panasonic, Pervasive Big Data, Polycom, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, Tata Consultancy Services, TE Connectivity, Tridium, Verizon and Walker and Associates. The event is also supported by key industry groups, including BICSI, Connected Nation, Connected Texas, DAS Forum, FTTH Council, GreenTouch, IPSO Alliance, Metroplex Technology Business Council, OVCC, Parks Associates, Pario Solutions, QuEST Forum, Small Cell Forum, Telecom Crash Course and WiFi Alliance.

About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents manufacturers and suppliers of global communications networks through standards development, policy and advocacy, business opportunities, market intelligence, and events and networking. TIA enhances the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members’ products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment, and entertainment. Visit tiaonline.org for more details.