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With today's network capacity challenges, backhaul can no longer be an afterthought for wireless operators. In fact, backhaul is currently one of the biggest investments for carriers. In a recent study commissioned by Tellabs and conducted by Strategy Analytics, the firm predicted that by 2017 wireless network traffic will require more than $35 billion in annual backhaul investment worldwide, which is $9 billion more than what is currently planned.

LAS VEGAS--Walmart is looking to mobile technology to redefine the shopping experience for its retail customers. Speaking at the CTIA Wireless 2013 conference today, Gibu Thomas, global head of mobile at Walmart, said that the company's goal is to create mobile tools that are "indispensable for the customer when shopping in our stores."

Verizon Wireless is teaming with Jennifer Lopez to sell wireless phones and services to the Latino market under Lopez's newly launched brand, Viva Móvil. The goal of the venture is provide a better retail experience for the growing Latino market, which was estimated to have had $1.2 trillion in purchasing power in 2012.

Just a few years ago, Wi-Fi offloading was all the buzz as operators searched for a quick solution to ease their network congestion. But today the discussion around Wi-Fi has shifted from offload to integration, as Tier 1 operators such as AT&T strive for more control of the user experience and better quality of service.

Fueling the fire surrounding the likelihood of toll-free data coming to the U.S. market soon, Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo told investors at a Barclays Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications conference today that content providers are starting to see the value in paying the wireless operator for the data consumed by their subscribers when they view their content via a mobile device.

LAS VEGAS--Just 24 hours after a tornado wreaked havoc on a suburb of Oklahoma City, public safety experts on a panel at the CTIA Wireless 2013 conference here talked about next-generation 911, the future of text-to-911 and other major public safety wireless issues.

Verizon Wireless topped the Tier 1 carriers in terms of customer satisfaction, according to an annual study from the American Customer Satisfaction Index. And wireless carriers overall reversed a two-year trend of deteriorating customer satisfaction with a 2.9 percent gain to achieve an overall score of 72, on a scale of 0-100, matching a 10-year high. Better call clarity and improved network coverage are being credited with making customers happier with their wireless service providers.

Arguably two of the most compelling and controversial topics in the wireless industry right now are the future of the wireless network and the Internet of Things. And both of these topics touch on the underlying business case of nearly every company in the industry right now. 

Just days after reports circulated that ESPN was in talks with a Tier 1 wireless operator about potentially subsidizing consumer access to the company's content via mobile, AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson told investors at a J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference that he expects content and app developers to soon introduce new types of business models that will allow customers to get access to their content without racking up high data usage bills.

AT&T's Project Velocity IP, or VIP, includes the deployment of more than 40,000 small cells and those small cells will be instrumental in delivering a good customer experience, especially when it comes to Voice over LTE, which the operator plans to launch in some markets by year-end.