"Even with all of the growth of more cellphone users and the like...the industry has been able to do that with a lot less people," says Rob Atkinson. It's the "ecosystem that is on top of that core network" that "is going to be a growth engine."

Writing for "Global Public Square," Bruce Katz recommends the United States heed ITIF's call for a National Innovation Foundation to bring together and ramp up the government’s fragmented efforts to boost commercial innovation.