Washington officials hit Vegas to rub elbows with Silicon Valley

So it’s not surprising that the White House has a big
presence this week.

Aneesh Chopra, Obama’s chief technology officer, was a
popular personality as he toured the show floor yesterday. Deputy Chief
Technology Officer Andrew McLaughlin was also on hand to talk about broadband
deployment.

Susan Crawford, the former technology advisor to the
president, is here. So is Anna Gomez, deputy assistant secretary for communications
in the Commerce Department. Her agency is charged with doling out $4.7 billion
in stimulus money for broadband projects.

The Federal Communications Commission has taken a starring
role at this year’s conference, which is traditionally the launching pad for
new products and companies.

Chairman Julius Genachowski is speaking Friday between
meetings with multiple CEOs from companies like Comcast and Verizon.
Commissioners Robert McDowell, Mignon Clyburn and Meredith Attwell Baker are
speaking on a panel on Saturday.

Companies will be jostling to get in front of the
politicians, staffers and regulators as they tour the show floor. Connections
with the FCC commissioners are particularly important, since the agency will be
making decisions about broadband, net neutrality and media distribution this
year that will make or break business models on display at CES.

For example, the mobile TV offerings broadcasters are
touting this year will only survive if the FCC doesn’t take away the airwaves
they need for the service.

The FCC is also looking for new, more efficient wireless
technologies. Products that use femtocells are a big hit with administration
officials this year. Femtocells allow wireless capacity to be unloaded onto a
Wi-fi or landline network, helping to ease the strain experienced by cellphone
networks these days.

Lawmakers and staffers are making the rounds, and aides from
the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over many of
the technologies rolled out at the CES, may have the biggest showing from
Capitol Hill. 

A staffer representing the panel’s chairman, Rep. Henry
Waxman (D-Calif.), is in Vegas. So are telecom staff for Rep. Rick Boucher
(D-Va.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology, Communications and the
Internet, and ranking member Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.).

Capitol Hill staffers spoke on panels Thursday and made the
rounds at evening cocktail receptions. Many also attended a party at the glitzy
Palazzo last night.

House Republicans Darrell Issa and Kevin McCarthy are
scheduled to speak Friday about Congress’ priorities in 2010.