FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lisa Reyes
Phone: +1-312-559-3325
E-Mail: mailto:lreyes@iec.org
ICT Industry Leaders from Around the World Speak in Hong Kong for
IEC's Broadband World Forum Asia 2006
Service Provider Executives Discuss Carrier Progress toward the
Converged Broadband Network in an Exclusive Plenary Panel this 16 May
CHICAGO 11 May, 2006 As Asia leads the world in broadband penetration
and innovative services, the IEC takes the Broadband World Forum Asia
2006 to Hong Kong from 15-18 May and hosts ICT executives from
around the world to discuss the latest leading-edge developments.
The Tuesday Plenary Panel, Carrier Progress toward the Converged
Broadband Network, features Chairperson Paul Berriman, head of
Strategic Market Development at PCCW; Chris Bilton, BT vice president
of Networks & ICT and BT Group chief technology officer; Thami
Msimango, chief technology officer of Telkom South Africa; and
Telefonica's Antonio Shcuh, director of Special Projects.
IEC President John Janowiak stated, "We're excited to host these key
players in one forum so they can share their latest understanding of
broadband advancements on a carrier scale."
Bilton commented, "The Broadband World Forum in Hong Kong is one of
the key industry events of the year. The panel discussion is a
particularly interesting session. It will discuss progress to date
from a selection of leading network operators from around the world on
the deployment of NGNs, how they are meeting the challenges of meeting
customer requirements in an increasingly mobile- and service-oriented
world, the architecture and key technologies that underpin some of
today’s leading NGNs, and some of the key challenges and issues
around NGN deployment based on their experiences at the leading edge
of NGN deployment."
Bilton continued, "Attendees at this session should gain a good
understanding of the common and specific challenges that network
operators face from different regions around the world, how these have
driven their approaches to NGN deployment, updates on their progress
in deploying NGNs, and how they are working with regulators, partners,
and customers to maximize the benefits of NGN deployment."
Msimango also expressed, "Broadband technology is a key economic
enabler for both developing and developed nations. It is particularly
imperative for the developing world to sensitize their communities to
the vistas that broadband technology opens for them and how it can
enhance the lives of even ordinary people. It is within this framework
that my address will focus on a global view of how broadband is
deployed in both the developing and developed worlds."
Finally, Schuh added, "Telefonica will be sharing our insight on the
benefits of an hybrid approach to TV. We feel that while IPTV is an
amazing product that brings terrific benefits to customer's life,
technical requirements and economics may hinder deployment in the near
term. After analyzing our markets and other operators' experiences, we
developed an approach combining IPTV and DTH. This, together with
geomarketing and customer segmentation, should enable us to access a
broader base of customers and adapt to specific segment needs while
keeping critical time-to-market and ROI constraints. In our
presentation, we will discuss the main ideas behind this approach and
present initial findings from our joint launch of audio-visual
services."
Schuh concluded, "This is a great moment for the broadband industry: a
host of new technologies are becoming economically viable, and
customers are increasingly more sophisticated and interested."
The Broadband World Forum Asia brings together technology leaders from
different parts of the globe to compare and exchange telecommunication
developments and ideas. ICT professionals will learn firsthand the
various broadband advancements in the Asia-Pacific region.
Visit www.iec.org/events/2006/bbwf_asia for complete information or
contact Lisa Ann Reyes at +1-312-559-3325 or mailto:lreyes@iec.org.
###
ABOUT THE BROADBAND WORLD FORUM ASIA 2006
With KT as the official host sponsor, the IEC's Broadband World Forum
Asia premiered in 2004 in Seoul, South Korea, drawing more than 1,500
industry professionals to register. The show continued with last
year's Broadband World Forum Asia 2005, held in Yokohama, Japan, with
NTT as the official host sponsor. Increasing registration numbers by
more than 100 percent, the show drew more than 3,000 industry
professionals to register, included more than 150 presentations, and
presented more than 120 industry experts as speakers. This year, the
Broadband World Forum Asia 2006 team and official host sponsor, PCCW,
will host numerous industry-leading companies to exhibit and expect
approximately 3,500 people to attend. For complete information, visit
http://www.iec.org/events/2006/bbwf_asia.
The IPTV Global ComForum also premieres at this year's Broadband World
Forum Asia 2006 as a co-located event that will address issues such as
content licensing, market realities, managing broadband services over
an IP/MPLS core, security environments, digital rights management,
personalization, interactivity for the end user, and more. For
complete information, visit http://www.iec.org/events/2006/iptv.
ABOUT THE IEC
A nonprofit organization, the IEC is dedicated to catalyzing
technology and business progress worldwide in a range of
high-technology industries and their university communities. Since
1944, the IEC has provided high-quality educational opportunities for
industry professionals, academics, and students.
In conjunction with industry-leading companies, the IEC has developed
an extensive, free, on-line educational program. The IEC conducts
industry-university programs that have substantial impact on
curricula. It also conducts research and develops publications,
conferences, and technological exhibits that address major
opportunities and challenges of the information age.
More than 70 leading high-technology universities are IEC affiliates,
and the IEC handles the affairs of the Electrical and Computer
Engineering Department Heads Association and Eta Kappa Nu, the honor
society for electrical and computer engineers. The IEC also manages
the activities of the Enterprise Communications Consortium. Please
visit http://www.iec.org.
Lisa Reyes (forums_@iec.org)