Over 62 Telecom Operators debate SAMENA Council's framework on sustainable Internet Business Model

Titled "Perspectives on Meeting Massive Growth on Bandwidth Demands" and proposed by the Council's Content Committee to ensure commercial viability

Dubai - UAE, May 31, 2012 - SAMENA Telecommunications Council, the tri-regional industry association of the leading telecommunications organizations has announced that over 62 senior executives from leading telecom operators attended the annual SAMENA Chairmen and CEOs Dinner Meeting in Hong Kong. Held under the theme "Internet Policy Dynamics: Shaping the Future - How consensus between The Policy Makers, Content Providers and Operators can lead us to Sustainable Digital Economies". The meeting was very successful and attendees discussed the importance of collaborative efforts in building sustainable Internet business models.

The SAMENA Council's Content Committee has been exploring a number of possible future models that can help operators offset the imbalance between their CAPEX and ROI. The meeting also provided the attendees with an opportunity to debate the framework on "Perspectives on Meeting Massive Growth on Bandwidth Demands" proposed by the Committee for building a Sustainable Internet Business Model.

Thomas Wilson, CEO and Executive Managing Director of SAMENA Telecommunications Council said, "The SAMENA Chairmen and CEO's Dinner Meeting was deemed a great success by all attendees, and we look forward to working with them closely going forward. It is definitely in the interest of the SAMENA Council and its members that the framework was actively addressed and its translation into a working document was also explored. Addressing the commercial viability issue of the current internet models via the multiple options laid out in the SAMENA Content Framework document and not from a regulatory perspective, was also highlighted multiple times during the meeting."

The meeting was hosted by PCCW Global, an Operating division of HKT.

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About SAMENA:
SAMENA (South Asia-Middle East-North Africa) Telecommunications Council is a tri-regional, non-profit telecommunications industry association that represents over 40 telecommunications operators in 25 markets, representing an aggregate subscriber base of 700 million mobile users, 79 million fixed-line users, and 22 million broadband users. The Council's membership embodies a community of telecoms operators, manufacturers, government bodies, academia, and leading global management consultancy organizations. SAMENA's Board of Directors and member companies include the largest regional operators and global multi-network operators as well as new competitive entrants. SAMENA focuses on digitization and broadband investment policies, and aims to promote beneficial regulation and governance that further industry evolution, as well as cooperation among key ICT industry stakeholders. For further information, please visit www.samenacouncil.org or contact SAMENA Communication at +97143642700 or email to (communications@samenacouncil.org).

About ETNO:
ETNO's 40 member companies and 10 observers from Europe and beyond represent a significant part of total ICT activity in Europe. They account for an aggregate annual turnover of more than €600 billion and employ over 1.6 million people. ETNO companies are the main drivers of broadband and are committed to its continual growth in Europe.

For more information, please contact: Thierry Dieu, ETNO Director for Communications and Public Policy Tel: (32-2) 219 32 42 Fax: (32-2) 219 64 12 E-mail: dieu@etno.be

For more information please call:
Farah Ibrahim
TRACCS
Tel: +9714 3672530
TRACCS Media Hotline: +97150 9448389
Email: farah.ibrahim@traccs.net