Johannesburg – At the invitation of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, the International Institute of Communications (IIC) is holding its 42nd Annual Conference in Johannesburg on 3 and 4 October 2011. This will be the second time that the IIC has been present in South Africa, the previous occasion being its 33rd Annual Conference in 2002.
Recent strides in broadband connectivity (the landing of undersea cables in Africa being the latest example) open the possibility of connecting the world in hitherto unforeseen ways, holding out the prospect of widespread economic, social and cultural benefits. Everywhere governments and industry alike are now grappling with critical issues such as how to secure the huge infrastructure investment for broadband networks, achieve optimal and equitable use of spectrum, develop new content services and applications, and lay the foundations for mass - if not yet universal - broadband uptake against a backdrop of economic challenge and in some cases real deprivation.
The IIC’s Annual Conference will offer the opportunity to senior industry, government and regulatory representatives and other experts from around the world to share their insights into recent developments, debate the market, public policy and regulatory implications, and suggest pointers towards future outcomes.
Issues for debate will include:
To what extent could economic and financial limitations in many countries undermine the social and economic benefits of broadband development and digital services generally? How to overcome the impediments both to widespread broadband roll out and consumer take-up? Can this be achieved without hindering or distorting competition? How realistic is universal broadband access? What can media players and, at grass roots level, local communities do to shape their communications futures on the internet, in radio and TV, or in new services such as mobile banking? What role can government innovation policy play? In what ways is the traditional model of separate media and telecommunications regulators challenged by the new communications environment? What changes are needed to regulatory processes and performance, to the relationships between different regulatory bodies and to the interface between regulators, policy makers and industry players?
Keynote speakers include HE Radhakrishna (Roy) L Padayachie MP, Minister of Communications, South Africa (welcome address); Linus Gitahi, Chief Executive Officer, Nation Media Group, Kenya; Lazarus Jacobs, Chairperson, Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia; Fabio Leite, Deputy Director, Radiocommunication Bureau, International Telecommunication Union; Dr Sreedhar Sarma, Chairperson, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India; and Simone Scholze, Executive Superintendent, Anatel, Brazil.
Other speaker highlights include: Dr Martin Cave OBE, Visiting Professor, Innovation Studies Centre, Business School, Imperial College, UK; John Kotsaftis, Chief Executive Officer, DStv Online; Paul Mitchell, Senior Director, Technology Policy, Microsoft Corporation; Professor John S Nkoma, Director General, Tanzanian Communications Regulatory Authority; Dr Robert Pepper, Vice President, Global Technology Policy, Cisco Systems; Michael Yap, Deputy Chief Executive (Regulatory) and Executive Director, Interactive and Digital Media Programme Office, Media Development Authority of Singapore.
Members of the media are invited to attend the plenary sessions only. Please contact Paseka Maleka at ICASA for confirmation of attendance.
Note to Editors
The International Institute of Communications (IIC) brings together a diverse group of senior professionals from the telecommunications, broadcasting, internet and content industries and from regulatory and other public policy bodies, to explore the latest developments in communications and what they might mean for the market and for society.
Just prior to its Annual Conference, the IIC holds the International Regulators Forum, hosted this year by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa i.e. from 1 – 2 October 2011 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Sandton. This is an annual, closed meeting for senior representatives of national statutory telecommunications and broadcasting regulators where they can share experiences and learn from the different approaches being taken towards common issues. “The Authority is quite pleased to welcome and host the event of this size and magnitude. It is through forums like these that we have to learn from each other and regulatory bodies as well as experts that emulate best practices; and as ICASA, we are not at the bottom end of anything, but so far we are making positive strides in regulating the communications industry,” said ICASA Chairperson, Dr Stephen Mncube.
Other IIC activities include Telecommunications and Media Forum meetings, which are held in different locations worldwide, including annually in Brussels and Washington DC, and its journal, Intermedia. National IIC chapters hold regular meetings on issues which reflect local preoccupations. The IIC South African Chapter will be launched at this year’s Annual Conference.
For further details of the IIC, go to www.iicom.org.
All media enquiries should be directed to:
Paseka Maleka
Tel: 011 566 3455
Cell: 079 509 0702
Trends in Global Communications: Making Digital Society a Universal Reality International Institute of Communications’ 2011 Annual Conference Radisson Blu Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg, Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 October 2011
