WIRELESS SERVICES IN IRAQ CONFERNCE
A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF IRAQ’S CURRENT AND FUTURE WIRELESS NETWORKS, REGULATION AND SECURITY SITUATION
Two Day Conference
26th and 27th January 2005
Hilton Kensington Hotel, London
KEY THEMES
·Understand the status and future developments of wireless deployment in Iraq
·Examine the technical options to enable rollout of wireless services in Iraq
·Evaluate the challenges in project managing and infrastructure planning
·Discover the opportunities for international companies to enter the Iraqi wireless market
KEY SPEAKERS
·Ali Al-Dahwi, Chief Executive Officer, MTC Atheer
·Asaad Alnajja, P.E., Chief Strategy Officer, VoEx
·Jeff Richardson, Director Defence & International Markets EMEA, MCI
·Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman, TAGI
·Tom Phillips, Government & Regulatory Affairs Officer, GSM Association
·David Claridge, Managing Director, Janusian Security Management
·Ali Asgharzadeh, Program Manager, Thuraya Services, Boeing Satellite Systems
·Jonas Lindblad, Analyst, Middle East & North Africa, Pyramid Research
·Francis Dinha, President & CEO, Furatlink
·Denis Gheysen, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Comfone AG
·Michel Hebert, Chief Executive Officer, Itsalat Iraq
Day One Wednesday 26th January 2005
Conference Chair
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh
- Chairman, E-Business, Information Technology & Telecommunications Commission, ICC Paris
- Chairman, Arab Regional Network, United Nations ICT Task Force
- Chairman, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAGI)
08:40 Registration and coffee
09:20 Opening remarks from the chair
REGULATORY AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS TO DEPLOY
WIRELESS SERVICES IN IRAQ
The first part of the conference will look at the status of wireless
deployment in Iraq, in terms of economic issues, regulation and
market opportunities.
9.40 Overview of the GSM rollout in Iraq
• Examining the licensing process: Managing the 2-year licenses
• Requirements and licence conditions for GSM rollout: What are
they and how are they fulfilled?
• The status of GSM rollout in Iraq: What is the schedule?
• Challenges for operators to implement GSM networks and
maximise coverage
• The future of wireless services in Iraq: After the 2 years,
what will happen of the licenses?
Tom Phillips, Government & Regulatory Affairs Officer,
GSM Association
10.20 IRAQ OPERATOR CASE STUDY
Atheer Telecom’s GSM rollout
• Scheduling deployment of GSM networks
• Negotiating licence conditions and coverage requirements
• Selecting services to implement to attract customers
• The results so far: customers, traffic, revenues
• Preparing for the future: after the first licence runs out
Ali Al-Dahwi, Chief Executive Officer, MTC Atheer
11.00 Coffee
11.20 Examining the regulatory environment for Iraq's wireless
services
• Introduction to the National Communications and
Media Commission
• Understanding the role of Ministry of Communications
• Outline of the current legal environment
• Impact of constraints on long-term decision-making
• Policy recommendations for the future
Art Bresnahan, Counsel Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
12:00 Opportunities for foreign companies to build a wireless
communications market in Iraq
• The current telecommunications sector in Iraq: Fixed-line
and wireless.
• The GSM licensing process: How it impacts on the future of
wireless services.
• Solutions to facilitate rollout of wireless services: Low-cost
networks, satellite, WiFi.
• The demand for wireless communication services in Iraq: How big
is the addressable market?
• Shaping the wireless market: What to expect in the coming years
in terms of coverage, penetration rates, revenues.
Jonas Lindblad, Analyst, Middle East & North Africa
Pyramid Research
12:40 Lunch
13:50 Roadmap for competition in wireless telecom services in Iraq
• Benefits of a competitive telecommunications sector
• Options for introducing competition in wireless services in Iraq
• The regulatory requirements for introducing competition
• Regulator's role in promoting competition in wireless services
- Licensing (and the challenges of transition to new licensing regime)
- Interconnection
- National roaming
- Mobile number portability
- Universal service
• Policy recommendations for liberalisation of telecommunications
Louay Abouchanab, Consultant, Connexus Consulting
NETWORK OPTIONS TO FACILITATE WIRELESS DEPLOYMENT
Technologies such as GSM, WLAN, satellite will be examined to
determine which are most likely to ensure rapid and cost-effective
coverage to maximise the take off of wireless services in the area.
14:30 Building superior wireless telecom networks in Iraq
• Network alternatives for facilitating wireless deployment in Iraq:
options for low-cost and rapid rollout of wireless services
• Examining the technologies currently available for implementing
wireless networks: what has been delivered to Iraq and what is
missing? (GSM, Satellite, WiFi, WiMAX and WLL)
• Opportunities with VoIP & VoWLAN for facilitating economical
wireless services coverage
• Deployment challenges and current obstacles - Exploration into
licensing, restrictions, regulations and telecom evolution: where
did we go wrong?
• Opportunities for Iraqi Telecom companies to be part of the
Global Wireless Networks evolution
Asaad Alnajjar, P.E., Chief Strategy Officer, VoEx
15:10 Coffee
15:30 Complementing GSM with satellite communications
• Examining the benefits of satellite in building a reliable and
efficient wireless network
• Deploying satellite communications within geographic and financial
restrictions
• Combining wireless satellite communications with GSM networks
• Seamless Communications & future roaming solutions
Harry Tayler, Account Director, Inmarsat Ltd.
16:10 PANEL DISCUSSION
Best options to implement wireless networks in Iraq
• The technology available to maximise coverage in emerging
markets
• Iraq wireless in the Middle East: how does the market integrate
in the region
• Investing in infrastructure in Iraq: how to ensure ROI?
Moderator:
Steve Hobbs, Managing Partner, UK, Acre Consultants, and former CTO, AsiaCell
Panelists:
Asaad Alnajjar, Chief Strategy Officer, VoEx
Art Bresnahan, Counsel, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Denis Gheysen, EVP, Marketing and Sales, Comfone AG
Harry Tayler, Account Director, Inmarsat Ltd.
16:50 Close of day one
Day Two Thursday 27th January 2005
Conference Chair
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman, TAGI
08:45 Registration and coffee
09:15 Opening remarks from the chair
ENTERING THE IRAQ WIRELESS MARKET: FINANCING,
PLANNING, MARKETING
This session will look at the business opportunities in Iraq and how to
manage projects to ensure ROI and take off of wireless services.
09:20 Maximising business opportunities in the new Iraqi market
• Iraqi economy & wireless infrastructure role
• The liberalization of Iraqi telecommunications: Challenges
and opportunities
• Financing and business models in wireless projects
• Working with local and foreign companies to manage projects
• Utilizing advanced infrastructure, services, technology,
and expertise offered by developed countries
• Prospects for revenues on the wireless sector in the coming years
• Wireless applications
Francis Dinha, President & CEO, Furatlink
10:00 Building Iraq’s GSM infrastructure: finances, technology
choices, project management
• Obtaining a contract to build major infrastructure in Iraq
• Technology choices to build a GSM network in a new market
• Managing infrastructure building projects: sub-contracting,
monitoring works
• Dealing with US and Iraqi authorities to lead infrastructure
building projects
• Status of GSM networks in Iraq today and improvements
to be made
Jeff Richardson, Director Defense & International Markets EMEA, MCI
10:40 Managing contracts and sub-contracts in the
re-construction of Iraq
• Managing projects under contracts from international agencies
• Planning the re-construction effort: financial, organisational and
logistical aspects
• Sub-contracting part of the construction project: choosing the
contractors and overseeing projects
• The place of wireless satellite services in rebuilding the
telecommunications infrastructure
• Working with Iraqi companies and network operators
Ali Asgharzadeh, Ph.D, Program Manager, Thuraya Services, Boeing Satellite Systems
11:15 Coffee
11:35 Approaching the Iraqi wireless market: strategies and
planning
• Identifying customers' needs to maximise take off of
wireless services
• Segmenting and sizing customers’ needs for mobile handsets
• Entry strategies for effective market access and development
• What complementary services and applications can operators offer
• Anticipating future demand: how is the market likely to grow?
Michel Hebert, CEO, Itsalat Iraq/ Director of International Business Development, Allied-TC plc
12:10 Enabling roaming between Iraqi and neighbouring networks
• Enabling roaming with neighbouring networks: Comfone Key2roam
• Business models to manage roaming partnerships with Iraqi
operators in an uncertain climate
• Regulatory and political requirements to help build a roaming
wireless network
• Enabling roaming for Atheer telecom: project management and
status of services
• The importance of working Iraqi networks for growth in Arab
wireless communications
Denis Gheysen, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales
Comfone AG
12:45 Lunch
13:55 Using WLAN as an alternative wireless network in Iraq
• Complementing wireless coverage in Iraq with WLAN
• Where is WiFi available and who uses it?
• Expanding WiFi usage in Iraq: what markets can be targeted?
• Technology solutions to enable seamless wireless communications
with WLAN
Amir Alkaram, Intel
14:30 Investment opportunities in Iraqi Kurdistan
• The status of wireless deployment in Iraqi Kurdistant: networks
and services
• Estimating market size and opportunities in wireless services
• The role of the Kurdistan Development Corporation
• Opportunities for foreign companies to invest in Iraqi
Kurdistan's wireless infrastructure and services
Nicholas Somerville, Executive Director
Kurdistan Development Corporation
MANAGING INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDING PROJECTS IN
CHALLENGING CONDITIONS: SECURITY ISSUES AND
RISK CONTROL SOLUTIONS
15:05 Risk management programmes to allow wireless
infrastructure building
• Understanding the possible risks: legal, political, violence, terrorism
• Examining the approaches to protect employees and businesses
against varied threats
• Adapting protection schemes to projects in wireless: case studies
• Dealing with problems: resolution techniques
• Analysing how threats have impacted on wireless projects
David Claridge, Managing Director, Janusian Security Risk Management
15:40 Coffee
16:00 Assessing political and economic risks in Iraq
• Understanding the political and economic trends in Iraq
• Effects on business and infrastructure projects in the region
• Terrorist risks and their effect on business
• Protecting your business from these threats
Andrew Marshall, Managing Director, Middle East Practice
Kroll
16:35 PANEL DISCUSSION: Conclusions and recommendations
This panel discussion will be an occasion to review the issues addressed
over the last two days and attempt to provide recommendations on
how to best manage wireless deployment in Iraq.
Panellists:
Andrew Marshall, MD, Middle East Practice, Kroll
Michel Hebert, CEO, Itsalat Iraq
David Claridge, MD, Janusian Security Risk Management
Mohamad Shaboot, Director, VoEx International
17:10 Closing remarks by chairman
17:15 End of conference
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