CTIA's day 3 keynote featured Bill Clinton & George H. Bush. The 41st President of the United States, George H. Bush (1989-1993) started with some funny jokes about gay marriage and right and left-wing politics. He even called the speaking opp "white collar crime," where "I go out, speak, get paid, and go home." He said that he's hooked to his Blackberry, and is a "blackbelt wireless emailer." He even took a cute pot shot at Al Gore, saying that he was using email before Al Gore made his "contribution to connectivity." He said that "there are things greater and more important than individual politics." His best one-liner: "Even after 14 years, people will still remember that you threw up on the Prime Minister of Japan." He has turned into a comedian.

Then came Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, with a lot of fascinating statistics and a hot pink tie. He received a long standing ovation. (George Bush received a short standing ovation.) Clinton spoke of the telecommunications act that opened up cable and wireless to more modern competition, though he expressed regret for the "antiquated language" in the act. Clinton said that median incomes rose in the second half of the 1990's due to information technology, which accounted for 7% of US employment, but 28% of US economic growth from 1996 to 2000, with economic growth of 4%, with IT growing 21%. Inflation was 3%, but in IT it was 1%. Jobs paid twice as much as foreign affiliates in the same industries and 25% more than average jobs in the US. Median wages rose due to IT.

In Rwanda, Clinton is working to put together a healthcare network, relying on cell phones and solar power. Penetration of cell phones in Africa is over 12%. Every increase of cell phone penetration of 10% increases GDP 1/6 of 1%, increasing access to markets through their mobile phones. Haiti, afflicted by bad governments and oppression, has a new job class where people sell minutes of use on a mobile phone. The fastest category for micro loans in Bangladesh is to women so that they can buy cell phones. 60% of loan takers use this money to lift themselves above the poverty line. Clinton urged us to make micro loans to people all over the emerging world to enable those below the poverty line to rise above it through the use of mobile technology.