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About the Organisers

Event Organisers

Forum Global www.forum-global.com

Forum Global specialises in policy focused conferences and events, providing a platform for discussion and debate on topical issues across a variety of different sectors. These events are organized with clients and partners and aim to progress ideas and actions on important issues, all within a balanced and neutral setting.

 

Forum Global is the international arm of Forum Europe, which was foundedin 1989 and is widely recognized as the leading EU dedicated event provider.

 

Headed by a team of events specialists, Forum Global works successfully with businesses, institutions and governments alike. Its strategic services can maintain and develop your key policy networks, and also deliver forums where key issues can be aired and debated.

Diamond Sponsors

Ericsson www.ericsson.com

Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society - a world leader in communications technology and services. Our long-term relationships with every major telecom operator in the world allow people, business and society to fulfill their potential and create a more sustainable future.

Our services, software and infrastructure - especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud - are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.

 

With more than 110,000 professionals and customers in 180 countries, we combine global scale with technology and services leadership. We support networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty percent of the world's mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks. And our investments in research and development ensure that our solutions - and our customers - stay in front.

 

Founded in 1876, Ericsson has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Net sales in 2013 were SEK 227.4 billion (USD 34.9 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York.

Huawei www.huawei.com

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Through our dedication to customer-centric innovation and strong partnerships, we have established end-to-end advantages in telecom networks, devices and cloud computing. We are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers by providing competitive solutions and services. Our products and solutions have been deployed in over 140 countries, serving more than one third of the world’s population.

Qualcomm www.qualcomm.com

Qualcomm is the driving force behind the growth and progress of the global wireless industry. It is the world’s leader in patents and other intellectual property that provide the technological basis for the global wireless communications industry. That goes for existing 3G (third-generation) technology that makes wireless Internet data as well as voice transmissions practical around the world. It also applies to next-generation, 4G technology, which delivers an even more enhanced and seamless user experience.

 

In addition to licensing its intellectual property to more than 170 companies worldwide, Qualcomm also manufactures highly sophisticated chips that are the engines of some of the most advanced wireless handsets and devices on the market. The company is the driver behind the very latest next-generation devices, which combine mobile communications, computing, and consumer electronics, that are now coming to market.

Platinum Sponsors

ESOA www.esoa.net

ESOA is a non-profit organisation established with the objective of serving and promoting the common interests of satellite operators from Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the CIS. The Association today represents the interests of 21 satellite operators who deliver information communication services across the globe. Together ESOA Members provide invaluable communications services to the whole world including emergency communications, live broadcasting, maritime and aero communications, secure services for governments, 24-7 monitoring of industrial processes such as energy plants and a whole range of other communications capabilities that society has come to rely on.

Motorola Solutions www.motorolasolutions.com

Motorola Solutions is a leading provider of mission-critical communication products and services for government customers. Through leading-edge innovation and communications technology, it is a global leader that enables its customers to be their best in the moments that matter. Motorola Solutions trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “MSI”. To learn more, visit www.motorolasolutions.com. For on-going news, please visit our media center or subscribe to our news feed.

Plum Consulting www.plumconsulting.co.uk

Plum Consulting is a specialised consulting firm offering strategy, policy, regulatory and engineering advice on telecoms, media and online sectors; and on radio spectrum as a key sector input.  In October 2014 Plum Consulting London LLP and Aegis Systems Limited announced that they had entered into an agreement under which the business operations of Aegis Systems became part of Plum. The combined entity, trading as Plum, builds on the strategy, policy and regulatory advice from Plum’s consultants and specialist technical and engineering advice to users and regulators of the radio spectrum from Aegis consultants.

 

Our clients on radio spectrum projects include government, regulators and industry players (operators and vendors). We work in many countries in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, Europe and North and Latin America and the Caribbean on a wide range of spectrum and telecoms issues.

Yahsat www.yahsat.ae

Yahsat provides multipurpose satellite solutions (government and commercial) for broadband, broadcast, government, and communications use across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe in addition to Central and South West Asia. Based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and wholly owned by Mubadala Development Company, the investment vehicle of the Government of Abu Dhabi, Yahsat is the first company in the Middle East and Africa to offer multi-purpose ka-band satellite services including:

 

· YahClick - offers satellite internet for home and business

· YahService - offers managed solutions and government capacity

· YahLink - offers IP trunking solutions, corporate networking and backhauling capacity

· Yahlive – a joint venture between Yahsat and SES, offers premium services to broadcasters and a select choice of TV channels

 

Yahsat’s first satellite Y1A was successfully launched in April 2011, and the company’s second satellite Y1B was successfully launched in April 2012. Yahsat has announced the manufacturing of its third satellite, Al Yah 3, planned for delivery in Q4 2016, with services to be rolled out early 2017, extending their commercial Ka-band coverage to an additional 17 markets reaching 60% of Africa and over 95% of Brazil’s population, marking the company’s first entry in to Brazil.

Microsoft www.microsoft.com

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Lunch Salon

Iridium

With unparalleled coverage of the globe provided by 66 low-Earth orbit satellites, Iridium’s satellite constellation can extend machine-to-machine (M2M) communications to any location on the planet.  This allows organizations to leverage intelligent data, including telematics, to reduce costs, protect assets, monitor performance, and make informed decisions about their equipment.

 

Iridium therefore enables owners of enterprise fleets, energy grids, remote infrastructure, emergency operations to fully optimize the use of their assets in the 90% of the Earth not covered by terrestrial networks, with low latency, higher transmission speeds and at one price no matter the need.  Its products are enabled by easy-to-install, ultra-light transceivers.

 

Iridium continues to improve its M2M offering.  With Iridium BurstSM, organizations can make one-to-many transmissions to an unlimited number of enabled devices within a specified geographical area for a fraction of the price for comparable services.  And Iridium NEXT, the next generation of Iridium satellite, will provide even greater data speeds and increased bandwidth, as well as enhancing coverage, being able to penetrate buildings and other structures with smaller antennas.

Supporting Partner

African Telecommunications Union (ATU) www.atu-uat.org

Brief History

 

Founded in 1977 as a specialized institution of the Organization of African Unity, now African Union, in the field of telecommunications, the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) took its present name in 1999 from the then Pan-African Telecommunications Union (PATU).  This led to the transformation of the agency into a partnership between public and private stakeholders in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

ATU provides a forum for stakeholders involved in ICT to formulate effective policies and strategies aimed at improving access to information infrastructure and services.  In addition, the Union represents the interests of its members at global decision-making conferences and promotes initiatives aimed at integrating regional markets, attracting investment into ICT infrastructure, and building institutional and human capacity.

 

Why we exist

 

The mission of ATU is to promote the rapid development of the ICTs in Africa in order to achieve universal service and access to broadband.

ATU has a vision for an engaged, stable and credible institution that facilitates Africa’s participation in the global information society thereby fostering development in Africa.

 

Arab Spectrum Management Group (ASMG)

The Arab Spectrum Management Group (ASMG) was established in 1997 to cooperate in the field of Spectrum Management by sharing and exchanging views on the emerging radio communication aspects as well as to manage and coordinate all issues related to Spectrum Management, World Radiocommunications Conferences and other spectrum matters between Arab States. 

 

The ASMG proffers its 22 members the opportunity of:

 

oHarmonizing spectrum use between Arab countries

oNegotiating and developing common Arab proposals for the agenda items of World Radio Conference (WRC) held every four years at the ITU.

oAssessing the progress of the studies pertaining to the agenda items of World Radio Conferences

oCoordinating among member states on all issues related to the Spectrum Management.

GSMA www.gsma.com

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

 

For more information, follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

SAMENA Telecommunications Council www.samenacouncil.org

SAMENA Telecommunications Council is South Asia - Middle East - North Africa (SAMENA) region’s sole operator-driven industry association that represents telecommunications service providers from around the region, and beyond. SAMENA is a not-for-profit organization, with membership comprising more than 90 leading regional and international organizations. Headquartered in the UAE, SAMENA was founded in 2006, chaired by Dr. Nasser Marafih and led by Mr. Bocar A. BA. SAMENA collaborates with leading non-profit international organizations, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the European Telecom Network Operators’ Association. With an expanding member portfolio, the Council is quickly securing strong footing in the region. SAMENA's current network consists of 25 countries from South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. However, organizations from countries of Asia Pacific, Europe and North America also form part of the SAMENA membership.

The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation http://www.cto.int/

The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation Forum is an annual 3-day event which breaks brings together government ministers, senior officals, the private sector and civil society representatives from Commonwealth countries and beyond, as well as leaders of UN agencies and multilateral bodies to discuss common concerns and opportunities for ICTs . The 2015 edition, themed “Towards a Connected Commonwealth” will elaborate on the following issues:

 

·         Increasing international capacity, especially for landlocked countries
·         Establishing a regulatory environment to encourage investment and innovation
·         Maximising broadband through equitable access
·         Governance and security of the Internet
·         Utilising e-connectivity for health, learning, agriculture and commerce

·         Financing low population-density rural infrastructure

Silver Sponsors

Specure www.specure.com

SPECURE is an international spectrum auction consulting company and the developer of a trendsetting electronic auction platform. SPECURE services cover the whole lifecycle of a spectrum auction: from the auction design, through pre-auction services, trainings and auction execution to evaluation of the auction results. Since 2008, SPECURE has participated in numerous spectrum auctions in Europe either as a software vendor or as a specialized consultancy. For further information please visit www.specure.com

Knowledge Partners

Aetha Consulting www.aethaconsulting.com

Aetha Consulting provides strategic advice to the telecommunications industry and specialises in undertaking rigorous quantitative assessments to support major strategic and regulatory decisions.

 

In the area of spectrum management, we assist regulators in developing spectrum policy, awarding spectrum and setting spectrum fees. Our consultants have conducted several high-profile spectrum-related studies for regulators such as the European Commission, AKOS (Slovenia), ANRT (Morocco), BIPT (Belgium), ICASA (South Africa), Ofcom (UK) and TRA (UAE).

 

We also support operators in understanding their spectrum needs, valuing spectrum and bidding in auctions. Our consultants have supported bidders in over 40 spectrum awards in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and South America. Our technical knowledge combined with our rigorous valuation modelling approach ensures that our clients are comprehensively prepared for auctions.

Nera Economic Consulting www.nera.com

NERA Economic Consulting is a global firm of experts dedicated to applying economic, finance, and quantitative principles to complex business and legal challenges. For half a century, NERA’s economists have been creating strategies, studies, reports, expert testimony, and policy recommendations for government authorities and the world’s leading law firms and corporations. We bring academic rigor, objectivity, and real world industry experience to bear on issues arising from competition, regulation, public policy, strategy, finance, and litigation.

 

NERA’s clients value our ability to apply and communicate state-of-the-art approaches clearly and convincingly, our commitment to deliver unbiased findings, and our reputation for quality and independence. Our clients rely on the integrity and skills of our unparalleled team of economists and other experts backed by the resources and reliability of one of the world’s largest economic consultancies. With its main office in New York City, NERA serves clients from more than 25 offices across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Exhibitors

LS telcom www.lstelcom.com

LS telcom specialises in software  and hardware solutions as well as consulting services for spectrum management, radio monitoring and radio network planning for every type of wireless technology. Our comprehensive portfolio includes market and technology developments regarding future spectrum management challenges and solutions.

We are at the forefront of Spectrum Auctioning, E-Licensing, GSM Refarming, Cognitive Radio and Digital Dividend world wide.
 
Our customer portfolio includes most of the spectrum regulators world wide, major network operators and commercial customers in more than 90 countries .