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Day One : Tuesday, 2 September 2008
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8am | Registration and welcome refreshments
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8.45am | Opening remarks by the chairperson
Anne Morris, Editor
Total Telecoms, United Kingdom
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| DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING TELECOMS INFRASTRUCTURE BEYOND 2020 |
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9am | Keynote address: Developing and maintaining infrastructure capacity of the continent: key deliverables
and challenges in meeting the Millenium Goals
This session will address the key concerns of meeting the millennium development goals in Africa. What are the challenges we face? How far along have we come, and what else needs to be done to ensure we meet our strategic objectives?
Joseph L.M. Mugore, Regional Manager: UNDP Regional Service
Center, United Nations Development Programme: Africa Subregional
Office for Eastern and Southern Africa, South Africa
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9.30am | Keynote address: Mission possible! Sustaining key trends
and essential growth through the supply of
telecommunications infrastructure in Southern Africa
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Accelerating the development of telecoms infrastructure
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What the future holds for the development of the sector
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Enhancing communication through the provision of basic telecoms services – mission possible!
Cecilia Mamelodi, Senior Programme Manager: Telecommunications, SADC Secretariat, Botswana
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10am | Morning refreshments
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10.45am | Ministerial panel: Analysing the best commercial
opportunities for strategic expansion in the African marketplace
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Meeting the growing demand for telecommunications infrastructure in Africa
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Current and future projects around the continent – knowing where to expand and invest
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Delivering on set goals through the utilisation of private enterprise partnerships
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Moving telecoms into the 21st century – ensuring world-class African communications infrastructure
Honourable Minister Antonio Francisco Munguambe, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Madagascar
Honourable Minister Joel Kaapanda, Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications, Namibia
Honourable Minister John Alintuma Nsambu, Ministry of State: ICT, Uganda
Honourable Minister Dr Benjamin Ntim, Ministry of Communications, Ghana
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11.30am | Keynote address: Driving growth within the African
continent through international investment – what’s hot,
where and why?
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Exploiting investment opportunities in Africa
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Where best to spend your money? Determining the optimum
investment strategy to maximise ROI
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The effect of privatisation and new players in the market on
fixed and mobile operators
Chris Gabriel, Chief Executive Officer: Africa Celtel Internation – Zain Group, Bahrain
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12pm | U-Turn – Create your own conference agenda
Personalise your learning by telling us the top 5 concerns that keep you awake at night. We will then announce the topics for tomorrow’s U-Turn discussion by close of day.
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12.15pm | Networking luncheon
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| REGIONAL REVIEW – CENTRAL AND NORTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE |
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1.15pm | Power forums: Fulfilling the telecoms potential of Central and North Africa
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Areas of growth in Central and North Africa; looking back an securing the future
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Financing growth in the region – where does the potential lie?
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Deregulation – positively affecting the sector for new and existing operators
Professor Sidi Mohammed Bouchenak, President, Autorite de Regulation des Postes et Telecommunications (ARPT), Algeria
Michel Elocho Benga, Conseiller, Ministre des Postes, Telecphones et TeleCommunications, Democratic Republic of Congo
Mutombo Age Papy, Head of Department in charge of the Regulation of Telecommunications, Authority of Regulation of the Post Office and of Telecommunications of Congo (ARPTC)
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| REGULATION AND LIBERALISATION OF THE MARKET |
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2pm | Panel discussion: The reform of African telecoms law: how to further stimulate open competition, growth and innovation
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Creating economies of scale through the transformation of regulation
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Helping to stimulate investment and growth within the sector
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Regulation vs. liberalisation of the telecoms sector – which works best for Africa?
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Reducing spectrum interference through proper innovation and regulation
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Addressing the issues involved in allocating Wi-MAX spectrum and other technologies to new players
Nnamdi Nwokike, Executive Secretary, West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), Nigeria
Ernest Ndukwe, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigeria
Yao Kouakou, Secretary General, Agence des Telecommunications de Cote d’Ivoire (ATCI), Cote d’Ivorie
Professor John Nkoma, Director General, Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), Tanzania
Professor Sidi Mohammed Bouchenak, President, Autorite de Regulation des Postes et Telecommunications (ARPT), Algeria
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2.45pm | Speed networking – bring your business cards
Speed networking is an exciting, quick and non-pressured way to meet fellow conference delegates and industry peers in one 15-minute session. This is where long-lasting and profitable business relationships begin.
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3pm | Afternoon refreshments
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| ASSURING SERVICE PROVISION FOR MOBILE AND FIXED-LINE MARKETS – IS YOUR TECHNOLOGY BACKBONE UP TO SCRATCH? |
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3.30pm | Working in under-developed markets – complexities faced
by operators in providing reliable services
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Dealing with the proverbial black out – what are the best possible solutions for ensuring lasting power supplies to base stations?
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Ensuring you don’t put the cart before the horse – creating solid infrastructure in challenging regions
Basilio Sadindi, Operations Director, Celtel Uganda
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| E-COMMERCE AND MOBILE BUSINESS |
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4pm | Using mobile communications in the delivery of e-commerce services
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How mobile technology can enhance service delivery in your country – banking the un-banked
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Tapping into the unlocked potential of the masses
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Assisting the development of an economy of scale through the cost-effective provision of basic services
Brian Richardson, Chief Executive Officer, WIZZIT (Pty) Ltd
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4.30pm | Q&A, chairperson’s closing remarks and close of day one
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Day Two : Wednesday, 3 September 2008
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8.45am | Opening by the chairperson
Anne Morris, Editor, Total Telecoms, United Kingdom
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| CONNECTING NEW MARKETS TO LEVERAGE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES |
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9am | Strategic market opportunities in Africa for developing
mobile and fixed-line growth: partnerships, products and
profits
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Finding that perfect someone – partnerships that can enhance operational capacity and increase your bottom-line
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Big investment opportunities in Africa and the effect of the regulative landscape on their success
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Emerging technologies – impact of increased demand on available infrastructure
Ihab Osman, Chief Executive Officer, Expresso Telecom, United Arab Emirates
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9.30am | Keynote address: Is fixed-line becoming obsolete in Africa?
This session will focus on the effect of mass market migration to mobile technology. Where is the future for wireline technology? Is it possible to curb theft of copper cables? And how will the market see this profile evolve in the future? What are the business models being put forward to sustain fixed-line infrastructure and gain market share?
Gateway Communications
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10.15am | Keynote address: Achieving mass market uptake of new
services in emerging markets
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Evaluating the challenges of entering new markets which can impede on success
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Deploying successful value added services that create ROI through mass market penetration and high ARPU
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Launching cutting-edge technology and building operational efficiency to attract and maintain new customers in emerging markets
Niezaam Davids, Chief Officer: Mergers, Acquisitions & Strategy Vodacom, South Africa
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10.45am | Morning refreshments
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11.30am | Cost optimisation for telecommunications companies in
emerging markets
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Reviewing global trends in telecom financials
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Ensuring cost optimisation whilst expanding and driving subscriber numbers
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The pragmatic approach to emerging markets
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Leveraging experiences in other successfully growing markets
Fernando Usera, Senior Executive and Operating Group Lead for Communications and High Tech, Accenture, South Africa
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12pm | The differentiator for the successful operator – What are the key drivers in achieving and maintaining market share in
Africa
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Technology vs. Customer Service – what makes you the operator of choice?
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Keeping your customer base growing and identifying key areas for customer growth within your business
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Meeting the requirements of quality and reliability of services offered
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Tapping into remote and rural areas – is this the way to go?
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Growth in low ARPU segments of the population
Celtel Tanzania
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| MAKING FIBRE OPTICS AVAILABLE IN AFRICA |
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12.30pm | Plenary discussion: Undersea cables and fibre optic outlay
in Africa
This session will focus on making fibre optics in Africa a reality. Providing fast, reliable and efficient service to the masses will be addressed, looking specifically at the challenges inherent with fibre optic networks. Taking into account the cable outage problem the Middle East incurred in February of this year – what are the security implications of fibre optic cables? What sort of back-ups do we have in place? And what are the opportunities that fibre optics brings with it?
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1pm | Things that keep you awake at night
You have voted for these topics! Your chosen speakers will now offer you real-time, spontaneous solutions and commentary on the issues that keep you awake at night. Bring your questions to this spontaneous discussion.
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1.30pm | Networking luncheon
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2.30pm | Business case: What are the commercial prospects for fibre
optics in Africa – key challenges and business models
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Building terrestrial and submarine fibre optic backbones
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Key challenges, funding and ownership models
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Opportunities and key developments for fibre optics in Africa
Sureer Ramdhani, Strategy Advisor, Seacom, South Africa
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| FIXED-MOBILE CONVERGENCE (FMC) AND TRIPLE PLAY – MEETING CUSTOMER DEMANDS |
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3pm | The future of fixed-mobile convergence in Africa – is this
your best customer solution?
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The business case for fixed-mobile convergence within the sector (Africa)
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The effect of convergence on existing and new players in the market
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FMC’s challenges– how will the sector react to increased competition?
Paul Inglesby, Board Member, Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance, South Africa
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3.30pm | Afternoon refreshments
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4pm | Panel discussion: Operators in the converged world – the realities of wide-scale adoption of FMC
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Identifying the right mix of converged services that will provide the best potential for mass uptake
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Prioritising strategic objectives to build fully convergent services: enabling FMC through advanced scalable solutions
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The future for FMC deployment in mature and emerging markets
Paul Inglesby, Board Member, Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance, South Africa
Ihab Osman, Chief Executive Officer, Expresso Telecom, United Arab Emirates
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4.45pm | Q&A, chairperson’s closing remarks and close of day two
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Day Three : Thursday, 4 September 2008
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8.45am | Opening by the chairperson
Anne Morris, Editor, Total Telecoms, United Kingdom
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| INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC INVESTMENT INTO TELECOMS
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9am | Panel discussion: Financing your infrastructure assets through international and domestic investment
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Infrastructure as a new form of aid for Africa
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Creating an enabling environment to help facilitate investment into infrastructure
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Increasing private sector investment and public sector participation to assist the growth of telecommunications infrastructure in Africa
Gilbert Mbesherubusa, Director: Infrastructure, African Development Bank, Tunisia
Fabrice Nze-Bekale, Director: Telecoms and Media, Standard Bank, United Kingdom
Antony Wilter, Head of Telecoms, Media and Technology, ABSA,
South Africa
Dr Hartwig Schafer, Director of Operations: Africa Region, World Bank, United States of America
Peter Maila, Head of Telecommunications, Rand Merchant Bank,
South Africa
Paul Baloyi, Chief Executive Officer, Development Bank of Southern Africa, South Africa
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9.45am | Panel discussion: Developing key partnerships for growth –China and India’s investment
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What are the concerns of dealing with the East?
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Whose agenda is being served? How best to harness these investments to ensure your economy benefits
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The price is good, but is the quality meeting your standards?
Ernest Ndukwe, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigeria
Michel Elocho Benga, Conseiller, Ministre des Postes, Telecphones et TeleCommunications, Democratic Republic of Congo
Mutombo Age Papy, Head of Department in Charge of the Regulation of Telecommunications, Authority of Regulation of the Post Office and of Telecommunications of Congo (ARPTC)
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10.15am | Morning refreshments
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| REGIONAL REVIEW – WEST AND EAST AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE |
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11am | Power forums: Fulfilling the telecoms potential of West and East Africa
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Where’s is the money coming from? Tapping into profitable market trends
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Key opportunities for development in East and West Africa
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Finding your way around liberalised markets
Honourable Minister Dr Benjamin Aggrey-tim, Minister, Ministry of Communications, Ghana
Yao Kouakou, Secretary General, Agence des Telecommunications de Cote d’Ivoire (ATCI), Cote d’Ivorie
Basilio Sadindi, Operations Director, Celtel, Uganda
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| EVALUATION AND EVOLUTION OF THE TELECOMS MARKET |
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11.45am | Keynote address: The future of broadband connectivity in
Africa
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How to lower the costs of providing high speed broadband infrastructure to Africa
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Key growth opportunities with the development of broadband
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Driving a profitable business model and increasing APRU
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What are the limits to broadband growth?
Ajay Pandey, Chief Executive Officer, Neotel, South Africa
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12.15pm | Networking luncheon
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| TELECOMS OUTLOOK FOR AFRICA: THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOBILE SOLUTIONS |
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1.15pm | Wi-MAX – a hot topic or an effective and profitable
business model?
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Defining the unique needs of regional operators in delivering Wi-MAX
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Creating effective commercial strategies in delivering to rural locations
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Wi-MAX as a solution for servicing areas with little or no infrastructure
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Quantifying the costs and returns in providing the infrastructure
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What will regional operators benefit from participation in this project?
Paul Edwards, Chairman, Starcomms, Nigeria
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2.15pm | Panel discussion: Providing CDMA 2000 to the masses
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Crucial new opportunities – but what are the realistic considerations?
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Providing mass market access to the internet
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Benefits for the end-users
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Overcoming poor quality access and coverage of existing networks in Africa
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End-to-end solutions for building CDMA networks
William Hearmon, Chairman, Africa CDMA Forum, South Africa
Paul Edwards, Chairman, Starcomms, Nigeria
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3pm | Afternoon refreshments
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3.30pm | Case study: Deploying 3G networks in an emerging market
Miguel Geraldes, Chief Executive Officer, MTC, Namibia
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| REGIONAL REVIEW – SOUTHERN AFRICA PERSPECTIVE |
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4pm | Power forums: Putting together a viable business case for Southern Africa
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Southern Africa – still the telecoms power house of Africa?
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Keeping up with the times – meeting the shifting demand of your market
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Dealing with regulatory challenges and achieving the lion’s share of the market – is it possible?
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Exceeding customer expectations through growth in technology and development of sustainable business models
Honourable Minister Antonio Francisco Munguambe, Minister, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Madagascar
Honourable Minister Joel Kaapanda, Minister, Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications, Namibia
Ajay Pandey, Chief Executive Officer, Neotel, South Africa
Reward Kangai, Managing Director, Netone, Zimbabwe
Niezaam Davids, Chief Officer: Mergers, Acquisitions & Strategy, Vodacom, South Africa
Miguel Geraldes, Chief Executive Officer, MTC, Namibia
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4.45pm | Q&A, closing remarks by the chairperson and close of the
conference
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Ernest Ndukwe
Ajay Pandey
