ITWeb will host its Broadband & Wireless 2007 Conference on 9 and 10 October at Gallagher Estate in Midrand.
The event will assess the future of broadband wireless communication systems, networks and services, while considering both business and technical issues pertaining to these converging technologies and market segments.
This year's conference features Lyndall Shope-Mafole, director-general of the Department of Communications. She will provide an update on government's five-year broadband strategy, including information on the current and future infrastructure and penetration in SA.
Government's broadband infrastructure supplier CEO, Infraco's Dave Smith, will headline alongside the director-general. He will discuss the state of international connectivity, such as the undersea cable, which is expected to provide affordable broadband for SA.
Expanding on this topic, Angus Hay, head of strategy at Neotel, will reveal the status of the country's second national operator. He will also outline what the company has in store for the future. Neotel has recently been involved in discussions with the 2010 FIFA World Cup Committee.
With governance hot on the media agenda, Dr Tracy Cohen, an ICASA councillor, will discuss the use of regulation to fuel the convergence of the broadband and wireless industry. She will look at what will be needed to succeed in the endeavour.
Thomas Jankovich, innovation strategy leader at global business and technology think tank, FutureWorld International, will look at today's warp-speed world. He will examine how to garner knowledge from tomorrow, in his presentation "10 lessons from the future".
They will be joined by a number of other industry professionals who will explore the convergence of these technologies. These experts will discuss issues of implementation and numerous possible solutions to the challenges of broadband and wireless.
In the know
This year's Broadband & Wireless Conference also features a number of power panel discussions. These include industry experts' discussions on the status of WiMax in the country, to a view of the roles cities will play in the broadband and wireless market.
Local analysts and industry watchers will share their visions of SA's broadband and wireless future in the analyst panel. They will examine the key challenges and opportunities ahead for operators, business and the regulator.
Headlining this panel will be Brian Neilson, director of telecommunications research at BMI-TechKnowledge (BMI-T); Dobek Pater, managing member of the Africa Analysis Team; Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx; Corrie Froehlich, senior industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan; and Rudolph Muller, founder of MyADSL.
Where it's all going
According to specialist technology researcher, BMI-T, SA will have more wireless Internet connections than fixed-line connections by the end of this year.
In June, Neilson said the primary reason for the large increase in wireless take-up is that corporates are issuing multiple employees with individual data cards, instead of sharing the same cable connection.
ITWeb's Broadband & Wireless 2007 Conference aims to address these issues through in-depth discussion and analysis.
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