Supercomm is like the Christian Holy Day of Easter; one is never quite sure which week of its scheduled month it will fall. You have to go back forty days to when all the hype started and count forward.

In case you forgot or miscounted, Supercomm is next week. It's my favorite week of the year. No, really, it's my favorite--for many reasons. I know it's just a trade show, but somehow over the years it has taken on major barometer status. Telecom goes as Supercomm goes. It's like breaking through the trees after floundering for days in a dark forest and suddenly coming upon a 7-Eleven store--only with some smokin' babes behind the counter.

It's like struggling for hours (minutes, really) with the interface on your new phone and having some eight-year-old come by and show you how to turn on the backlight.

Supercomm gives perspective to many of the promises made last year. It gives clarity to some of the rumors that have circulated for the last couple of quarters. And it brings into town just about everyone who matters--or who can still afford to come. They, in turn, make the promises for next year.

In that vein, it has the potential to let you know from where you came and to where you are going. Unfortunately, it doesn't always live up to that potential. This year, I don't think we'll see much measurable progress from last year's promise: fiber-to-the-premises. It was just too big of a promise. Besides, it could be eclipsed this year with all the talk about voice-over-IP, even if most of the talk is regulatory in nature. And we all know that the longer regulatory arguments go on, the less likely it will be that a reasonable outcome will result.

But still, nothing dampens my enthusiasm for Supercomm. Not only does it bring old friends into town, but it marks the end of the long wait for what comes after: vacation. West Olive, Michigan, here I come.

What, you were thinking the islands, maybe?

E-mail me at tmcelligott@primediabusiness.com