Photos: Industry heads address TelecomNext

Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices business, demonstrates the company's IPTV Edition software Tuesday at the TelecomNext trade show in Las Vegas. The software is currently being used by 13 service providers around the world. Deutsche Telekom is the most recent carrier to say it will use Microsoft's IPTV software for its new VDSL network.

Daniel Dunker, program manager for Microsoft, shows how the IPTV Edition software lets people preview up to six of their favorite channels at once.

AT&T CEO Edward Whitacre, whose recent comments ignited a debate over whether new laws are needed to preserve network neutrality, said Tuesday at the TelecomNext trade show in Las Vegas the fears that his company and other big network providers will block traffic on their networks are overblown.

Kevin Martin, the Federal Communications Commission chairman, said Tuesday he believes the FCC's existing principles are sufficient to address problems that may arise should network operators try to block traffic.

John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems, encourages fellow equipment makers and telecommunications service providers to look to new markets.

Cingular Wireless CEO Stan Sigman said Tuesday that his company is focused on improving its network and its customer service, as well as opening new sales channels.

Walter McCormick, CEO of USTelecom (left), and Kevin Martin, the FCC chairman, discuss Tuesday whether regulation should allow network operators to recoup the money they've spent to build their networks.

Dan Hesse, CEO of Embarq, the new local phone company that will be created when Sprint Nextel spins off its wireline business later this year, tells attendees at the TelecomNext trade show on Tuesday that current regulations do little to encourage telecoms to invest in rural regions. He also encouraged local phone companies to work together to develop new standards for the industry.

Disney CEO Robert Iger, one of the keynote speakers Monday at the TelecomNext trade show in Las Vegas, said that customers are king when it comes to buying telecommunications and broadband services. But Iger warned of issues that could slow innovation, including government overregulation and inadequate digital rights management.

Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg said Monday that consumers are already clamoring for the company's high-speed Fios service, which is based on a fiber-to-the-home network. Consumers have been adopting the service--where it's available--faster than any other new service Verizon has introduced, Seidenberg said.

Glenn Britt, CEO of Time Warner Cable, warned Monday against government overregulation of the cable industry. He also said that phone companies and cable operators should be treated equally when it comes to regulatory policy.

Norio Wada, CEO of NTT, the largest telecommunications provider in Japan, speaks Monday about the strong consumer demand for his company's new 3G wireless and fiber-to-the-home broadband services. But he also voiced concerns about the adequacy of current digital rights management technology.

Wolf said the current business model in television won't work once large numbers of people opt to download shows from the Internet.