As central as the screen is to the future of the car, even more important in my view is the inclusion of mobile broadband data into the vehicle. Drivers and passengers in the front seat want real time traffic with their navigation systems and enhanced safety features like the ability of cars to call 911 automatically after an airbag has been deployed. Passengers also want entertainment features such as internet radio, online games and streaming video. And of course there is always important challenge of increasing the number of services while not increasing driver distraction.

With more electric vehicles now becoming available, other mobile features are important. For example, AT&T provides wireless connectivity to the Ford Focus Electric and the Nissan Leaf. In both vehicles, AT&T connections provide vital information and controls, including vehicle range and battery charge when away from your vehicle.

There are number of ways to provide connectivity to customers while inside the car as well. Manufacturers can embed a mobile broadband chip directly into the car. Or drivers could simply tether their smartphone to their car and use its connectivity to power those safety, security and entertainment applications.

Regardless of the solution, the real key to giving customers the mobile broadband speeds they need is in the network. That's why I'm jazzed about AT&T's technology. Only AT&T has two 4G networks that work together for customers, LTE and HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. This gives AT&T's customers access to the nation's largest 4G network, covering more than 260 million people. According to recent third-party speed tests by PCWorld in 13 cities, AT&T 4G LTE average download speeds are faster than the competition based on testing in 13 cities – when paired with our HSPA+ network, offered the fastest combination of any carrier in the study.. That means that even as 4G LTE expands, AT&T customers are able to enjoy widespread, ultra-fast and consistent 4G speeds on their compatible device as they move in and out of LTE areas.

There's no question that consumers are demanding mobile broadband everywhere they go. Between 2007 and 2011, AT&T experienced a 20,000 percent growth in mobile data usage. Streaming video on AT&T's Mobile Broadband network grew (quarter over quarter) nearly five times between the first quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of 2012.

With consumers thirsty for all that mobile broadband has to offer, AT&T is working closely with car manufacturers to meet that demand – and to provide the best possible experience.

I got a lot of blank stares in those meetings.

Fast forward to 2012. The International Consumer Electronics Show has become the “Wireless” International Consumer Electronics Show. There are no blank stares in my meetings now, just spirited discussions on the importance of connecting devices to our networks.

And it was evident from walking on the show floor. Everywhere you looked; devices were being connected to networks – 3G, 4G, WiFi, Zigbee, etc. There were traditional devices like smartphones and tablets. One of those tablets was the Pantech Element – which got a “wow” when Pantech Chief Marketing Officer S. Jay Yim unveiled it by pulling it out of a water-filled tank at the AT&T Developer Summit to demonstrate its water resistant qualities.

But wireless connectivity goes well beyond smartphones and tablets. Connected devices at CES included cameras, home security, automotive, gaming and TVs. Let me just talk about a couple of these.

Gaming: The Sony PlayStation Vita provided one of the most exciting experiences in the show. With a built-in connection to AT&T's mobile broadband network, the Vita not only provides wireless connectivity to games while you're on the go, it also leverages social networking applications to bring gamers together.

And that's where Sony is hitting a home run with its Vita platform. Online gaming inside the home has exploded over the last few years. The reason: Connectivity to other gamers and fully utilizing social networking. There's always someone online who's ready to play with you or brag about the score they just got – whether they are across town or around the globe. PlayStation Vita owners will be able to take advantage of that same functionality anywhere they have wireless service.

I'm convinced that future success in the gaming industry will be incumbent on mobile broadband connectivity. HSPA+ gives a great experience today and LTE – with its faster speeds and lower latency – is ideal for gaming platforms of the future and most important delivers the anytime, anywhere experience the customer wants and expects.

Automotive: Every car manufacturer and after-market player is trying to decide the best way to bring connectivity to their vehicles - and a number of solutions were on display at the show including both embedded and tethered.

There are two very different use cases for cars – front seat and back seat. The front seat is demanding navigation, real-time traffic, safety and security functions. The back seat, on the other hand, wants entertainment – streaming video, gaming and internet connectivity.

Research in Motion's QNX software showed off the outstanding demos in this area, with a Porsche concept car. The QNX platform was capable of delivering high definition video to tablet computers in the back of the car. It also worked with AT&T's Watson speech and language engine so that the driver could ask the car to play specific music tracks. The platform also provided high quality stereo voice calls that were mind-blowing in their clarity. CNET named the QNX platform in its “Best of CES 2012”

What's exciting is that we're just getting started in this space. Consumer electronics manufacturers are finding out quickly that connectivity sells. Consumers understand that wireless connectivity makes products better.

Our job as a carrier is to make it easier for manufacturers to embed wireless into their products, to help support a variety of business models and to provide the best network experience. Wireless connectivity sells, but only if the overall experience is a positive one.