3 NEW Masterclasses for all AfricaCom visitors to learn about the hottest African telecoms trends & solutions

3 hot topics to choose from across the 2 days: Cloud Services, Value-Added Services, and Broadband & LTE

1. Presentations and case studies from leading analysts, technology innovators, service providers, and more
2. A chance to quiz your peers on the issues at the forefront of the digital ecosystem debate
3. An informal environment to network with like-minded peers
4. Taking place at the heart of the exhibition so you never stay far from where the action is

These are FREE to attend. Register here for your entry ticket.

1. Telecom Cloud Masterclass

New Cloud services for ICT management and revenue opportunities for operators and ICT providers
Chaired by Abby Wakama, Publisher, ITNewsAfrica.com

11.00 ANALYST INSIGHT: Overview of telecom cloud services opportunities in Africa

• Could cloud services pave a path for more Africans to gain access to essential applications than is possible under the current model?
• What is the impact of broadband coverage and costs in Africa on cloud services opportunities ?• Examining the role of data center operators, system integrators and telecom operators in driving cloud services in Africa
• Will the demand from business clients drive operators to conclude that cloud services are a de rigueur part of their strategy to maintain competitive edge in a commoditizing environment?

Judah Levine, CEO, HIPConsult

11.30 Assessing the infrastructure requirements to enable the provision of cloud services

• Assessing the cloud computing requirements of operators and enterprises in Africa
• Providing a basic infrastructure for establishing a cloud computing solution platform
• Solutions for converting traditional telecom and industry services into cloud services

Michael Stanley, Head: Consumer and Business Applications, Ericsson

12.00 Innovative services for telcos and enterprises in the cloud

• Examining the range of services enabled by cloud computing
• Innovating to suit the users’ requirements
• Finding the right partners to deliver the services effectively and securely

Shinya Kukita, Chief Manager of International Sales, NEC

2. VAS Masterclass

Growing operators’ revenues with new services and applications in the rapidly changing VAS ecosystem

14.00 ANALYST INSIGHT:Overview of the value-added services market in Africa

• Examining the key drivers for the VAS market in Africa
• Assessing which VAS generate most revenues for operators
• Examples of successful VAS strategies from African operators

Thecla Mbongue, Senior Analyst, Informa Telecoms & Media

14.30 Is mobile money the most promising value-added service for Africa?

• Strong underlying demand from unbanked sector
• Strong and clear service design with optimal pricing
• Effective agent network execution
• Balanced regulation that provides measures for consumer protection and prevents AML and terror funding
• Interoperability between mobile operators in same or other markets

Mayank Sharma, VP Africa, Comviva

15.00 CONTENT PROVIDER; Seizing the opportunities in the mobile content market for Africa

• Delivering services that make the best use of the content: video, ringtones etc.
• Offering the right mix of local and international content
• Partnership and revenue-sharing models between operators and content owners/distributors

Richard Abdalian, Vice President of Developing Markets. Universal Music Group International

15.30 INTERACTIVE PANEL
Discussion: Which services will generate most revenues for the operators and their partners in Africa?

• Which VAS are currently bringing most profits to the operators?
• Assessing the potential of different VAS: messaging, content and apps, mobile money, m-health, m-education, other
• How will the VAS/apps ecosystem develop in Africa?

APP EXPERT - Torsten Hoffmann, Managing Partner, Global Media Consult
APP EXPERT -  Alan Knott-Craig Jr., CEO, World of Avatar
OPERATOR - Consolata Ugboko, Head of International Roaming & VAS, Glo Mobile, Nigeria
CONTENT PROVIDER - Anahi Ayala Iacucci, Media Innovation Advisor, Africa Region, Internews

16.15 IPv6 an opportunity for Mobile Operators in Africa

Adiel A. Akplogan, CEO, AFRINIC

16.40 End of Masterclass

3. LTE & Broadband Masterclass

Examining the networks and infrastructure developments to deliver broadband across Africa

Chaired by Dobek Pater, Director, Africa Analysis

10.30 ANALYST INSIGHT: Examining the state of broadband in Africa

• Current broadband market landscape in Africa
• Drivers for growth, and major inhibitors
• A case for next generation wireline networks in Africa
• What do market players think? A discussion on survey results
Kalyan Medapati, Senior Research Analyst, Informa Telecoms & Media

10.55 OPERATOR: Operators’ strategies for mobile broadband developments in Africa

• Opportunities created by mobile broadband in Africa and how to get there
• New services enabled by mobile broadband for African businesses and users
• New partnerships between operators, media brands and ISPs
Jean-Pierre Bienaime, Orange Group, and Chairman, UMTS Forum

11.20 LTE: LTE strategies to deliver mobile broadband in Africa

• The case for mobile broadband
• Examining the mobile broadband landscape for Africa
• LTE as the future-proof choice
• Assessing the solutions: FDD LTE vs. TDD LTE
• Overcoming deployment Challenges
• Case Studies
Liviu Gaftea, Senior Director Wireless International Marketing, ZTE

11.45 WIMAX: The role of WiMAX in developing broadband access in Africa

• Examining the WiMAX market in Africa
• Benefits of WiMAX technology to develop broadband
• Future trends and opportunities for African operators and users
Declan Byrne, , Director of Marketing, WiMAX Forum

12.30 FIBRE: The role of fibre in improving broadband connectivity

• Examining the benefits of fibre in improving network performance
• Overcoming challenges in rolling out fibre networks in Africa
• Future developments in fibre connectivity
Arif Hussain, CEO, FibreCo

12.35 STATELLITE: Delivering High Capacity Broadband where Fiber is Unavailable

• Hybrid solutions to deliver cost-effective broadband to rural areas
• High quality, High capacity connectivity using MEO
• Direct access to the internet backbone for remote areas

Omar Trujillo, Regional VP, Africa, O3B Networks

12.50 Break

13.45 MOBILE BROADBAND: Optimizing Mobile Broadband Quality of Experience

• Meeting the challenges of delivering vibrant data services
• Examining a methodology and solution to analyze end-to-end data services
• Customer case studies illustrating the success factors
Thierry Jacq, 3G & LTE Product Manager, Astellia

14.10 INTERACTIVE PANELDiscussion: Improving broadband access for all in Africa

• What are the remaining obstacles to developing broadband access in Africa?
• Which technologies will be used to deliver cost-effective broadband?
• Device strategies to help broadband uptake

Henk Kleynhans, Chairperson, WAPA
Bill Hearmon, Chairman, African Broadband Forum
Richard Deasington, Director of Vertical Marketing – Cellular iDirect
Karri Kuoppamaki, Head of Technology, Africa, Nokia Siemens Networks

14.50 End of Masterclass

* Speaker details to be confirmed. Check back here or latest agenda updates..

For more information on the content and speaking opportunities, please contact Julie Rey, tel: +44 20 7017 5394, julie.rey@informa.com

These are FREE to attend. Register here for your entry ticket.