SAN DIEGO—It's time to pack up after another fall CTIA show, and we've got a lot to take home with us.

The show was definitely smaller than past events. I was often reminded of the first fall CTIA show that I attended – one that was in a hotel conference ballroom-type of setting in Seattle. (That was back in the days when CDPD looked like it might actually do something. Or at least at the time, it was the most viable data option going.)

To understate it, a lot has changed since then. This year's show was larger than those early days, but it had that same feel of a smaller, more intimate setting where you frequently run into familiar faces and have enough elbow room to get close enough to really see the gadgets and demos.

Funny thing is, I don't recall a fall I.T. show that focused as much as it did this year on devices. That's obviously a sign of the times. Mass media and bloggers are now more interested than ever in smartphones and wireless gadgets, thanks in part to the iPhone, Google and others.

Of course, the popularity of wireless also means the FCC is more interested than ever, and we saw FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski pay us a visit earlier this week. I don't recall the last time an FCC chair visited a fall CTIA I.T. show, although it might have happened. Everything just seems much more critical this year, as the industry undergoes FCC scrutiny and needs to plan like never before for an explosive demand for wireless data.

I don't think the net neutrality issues are anything that can be solved or resolved quickly. There are too many moving parts, and a lot of voices need to be heard.

After some past I.T. shows, it felt as though the industry had its annual fall confab, discussed important issues of the day, and we all went home. This time, it feels like a lot of issues are just getting started, and we're going home with a lot of unpacking to do.