DOHA: The importance of collaboration and its impact on inevitable technological advancement serve as the focal point of discussions among leaders of the industry that attended the two-day Samena Telecommunication Council's "Convergence to Doha 2011" which kicked off yesterday at Sharq Village and Spa.
Thomas Wilson (pictured above), CEO of Samena Telecommunications Council, said forum discussions yesterday focused more on ICT in terms of broadband network in the wake of its increasing demand now that South Asia, Middle East and North Africa (Samena) is the fastest growing region in terms of consumer technology and economic growth.
The gathering brought together a large number of experts, key decision makers and leading telecommunications executives, representing some of the region's leading operators, vendors and service providers.
Saying that the gathering is the most important event of the year, Wilson said ICT has a very influential and imperative role in driving economic growth and has transformed the way people communicate, live, network, and the way their countries grow.
Eng Saud Al Daweesh CEO of Saudi Telecom Company Group and Chairman of the Board of the Samena Council said the conference gives opportunity for industry leaders to share knowledge and exchange industry insights.
"The region is filled with exceptional potential and it is up to every operator in this room to raise the expectations of our consumers and bring about a greater era of telecommunication technology," Al Daweesh said.
Speaking on behalf of Qtel Group, Abdul Aziz Fakhroo, Executive Director of Qtel's Technology Business Unit, said convergence is playing a key role in realising Qatar's National Vision 2030 through the deployment of new technologies and shared efforts of different actors in the industry.
Ross Cormack, CEO of Qtel Group's Nawras commented : "We believe that Qatar offers one potential path for development. However, through our work with regulators across our markets, we recognise that a wider number of countries are pursuing different paths and enjoying different results."
The first day of the conference also witnessed Subsea Group kick-off panel discussions with speakers from the David Ross Group, SSD UK, Etisalat, XTERA, STC, and Gulf Bridge International. A carrier focused panel discussion on increasing revenue streams was also held with speakers from the Samena Council, Teralight and Telcordia.
The '4th Annual Samena Awards' were also held followed by the gala dinner, to recognise leadership and excellence in the telecommunications industry in the Samena region.
The five categories of the awards that were: Telecom Operator Awards (8 awards), Regulator Awards (3 awards), Vendor Awards (2 awards), Individual Awards (4 awards) and the newly added - Satellite Awards (2 awards).
© The Peninsula 2011
