LONDON - Thursday, April 7th 2011 [ME NewsWire]
West & Central Africa Com 2011
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The West and Central Africa region has consistently been the fastest-growing one in Africa in the past few years. Mobile subscriptions in West & Central Africa are predicted to increase another 68% over the next 5 years to reach in excess of 310m. Over this period, the strongest subscriber growth is expected in the telecom markets of DRC, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo. Competition for these new customers is fierce though, as operators compete with new entrants in a more crowded environment.
Unlike East Africa, where competition has been fought mainly on price, West & Central African operators in the region’s more developed markets have harnessed improved connectivity as a way of increasing customers. They have invested in their networks to offer value added services such as mobile money transfer, which are regarded as a customer retention tool and way to increase rural coverage. Data services, in particular mobile broadband is now offered in 7 of the region’s 24 markets.
Despite these clear developments, it’s still early days in the provision of these new services in West & Central Africa, and the companies which will succeed in seizing the best opportunities will have to move fast and be innovative. This will be the focus of the 8th annual West & Central Africa Com conference and exhibition, the region’s only executive-level telecoms conference & exhibition, which will take place in the Meridien, Dakar, Senegal, on 15-16 June 2011 www.comworldseries.com/wcafrica
“It is timely that the region has a forum in which to meet, discuss strategies and build relationships that will assist them in successfully capturing West & Central Africa’s growth potential; this is what we are aiming to achieve at West & Central Africa Com”, says Julie Rey, Conference Director at organisers Informa Telecoms & Media.
30+ speakers from regional operators, regulators and solutions providers have so far confirmed their participation at West & Central Africa Com. The conference will be officially opened by Moustapha Guirassay, Senegal’s Minister of Communication, Telecommunications and Information & Communications Technologies, and Spokesperson of the Government. The operator speakers include leading names in the region: Tiemoko Coulibaly, CEO for Francophone Markets, Airtel Africa; Bernard Ghillebaert, VP, Orange Group; Ahmad Farroukh, VP for West & Central Africa, MTN Group; Saiful Alam, Chief Commercial Officer, Expresso Telecom Group; Stevan Hoyle, Director Asia and Sub Saharan Africa, Vodafone Global Enterprise; Alain Kahasha, Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria; Mohamed Sylla, Director of Studies and Development, Sotelgui, Guinea; Tushar Maheshwari, Chief Commercial Officer, Starcomms, Nigeria; Olubiyi Ismail, CEO, Geoidtel, Nigeria; Kebba Bojang, Senior Manager Customer Services, Gamcel, Gambia; Usman Gumi, CEO, GiCell Wireless, Nigeria and many more.
They will offer expert observations and best practice advice on issues like: innovating to defend market position, improving networks and services to maximise growth, launching a new brand, the role of optical fibre in improving networks, disciplined investment and smart use of infrastructure assets, identifying value added services that make sense to the market, opportunities in mobile money, targeting corporate segments, maximising customer loyalty, expanding a group’s presence, network and infrastructure sharing in rural areas, offering cost-effective rural services, market forecasts and more. All conference sessions will be simultaneously translated in French and English.
“The conference agenda includes plenty of interactive sessions to stimulate open discussion between the speakers and attendees on all aspects of regional telecoms,” says Caroline Wiezien, Marketing Manager, Informa Telecoms & Media. “It’s a unique opportunity for companies from all 24 countries in West & Central Africa to properly discuss market dynamics, share experiences and set benchmarks and strategies for the year ahead.”
West & Central Africa Com is the only annual event dedicated to the communications industry of all 24 countries in the region. 700 operators (fixed, mobile, wireless), ISPs, regulators, investors and vendors from the region will gather to debate the opportunities and challenges facing their markets. The conference will be co-located with an exhibition that showcases the latest innovations from over 50 telecoms companies in West & Central Africa and across the globe.
For more information on West & Central Africa Com, please contact: Julie Rey, Conference Director, West & Central Africa Com, julie.rey@informa.comTel: +44 (0)20 7017 5394 www.comworldseries.com/wcafrica
About Informa Telecoms & Media
Informa Telecoms & Media is the leading provider of business intelligence to global telecoms and media markets.
Our aim is to provide actionable, strategic advice and forecasting on all aspects of converging mobile, fixed, entertainment and IT markets. Driven by constant first-hand contact with the industry our team of analysts and researchers produce over 300 annual events and intelligence services including news and analytical products, in-depth market reports and data sets. We benefit from outstanding people, including 100+ analysts, researchers and journalists across 14 countries. Our customers include major blue-chip vendors, operators, and regulators in addition to key players from the financial and content communities. We are proud of the role we play in bringing the industry together and keeping 100,000 individuals better informed. www.informatm.com
En francais: http://bit.ly/fVJ4wU
Contacts
West & Central Africa Com
Julie Rey, Conference Director, +44 (0)20 7017 5394
julie.rey@informa.com
www.comworldseries.com/wcafrica
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