Shedding light on ICT opportunities in Zimbabwe

19 Jul 2012

Executives and decision makers from Africa's burgeoning ICT industry will join high profile speakers to discuss several issues at the next IT News Africa Innovation Dinner, scheduled for to take place 31 July at the Michelangelo Hotel in Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa.

Delegates can look forward to a live interview and Q & A session with Zimbabwe's MDC minister of Information, Communication and Technology, Nelson Chamisa, about the growth of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country, investment opportunities, government plans for ICT infrastructure and regulation.

According to the United Nations Development Programme World Investment Report 2012, the country's FDI inflows last year more than doubled to US$387 million.

Long Term Evolution

The underlying theme of the event, another in IT News Africa's Innovation Dinner series, is Long Term Evolution (LTE) and its impact on global next-generation telecommunications.

LTE is the fastest growing next generation mobile technology and the industry is deeply committed to commercially launching this technology within the next year or two, with a few pilot projects have already been launched.

Telecom companies the world over are looking to move LTE towards mass adoption, industry statistics internationally show that LTE subscribers are expected to reach 380 million in more than 80 plus networks by 2015 worldwide. Africa has been slow to take up the technology due to a variety of reasons that have been put forward by operators in the region.

"Our Innovation Dinner is the ideal opportunity for delegates and operators to network and discuss these issues. This is the platform to identify opportunities and gain advice on the best strategies going forward. Minister Chamisa, will also give insight into how overseas investors view 'risky' regions, like Zimbabwe, and where operators need to be positioned to take advantage," explains Abby Wakama, executive publisher, IT News Africa.

The NGN LTE Innovation Dinner will address the essential steps toward the broad adoption and commercialisation of LTE technology, covering subjects including spectrum, device profiles, network deployment, applications, and business models.

The unprecedented global alignment behind LTE underscores the incredible potential this emerging technology has across the wireless value chain, from silicon suppliers and network vendors through to device makers, developers, operators and end users.

Other speakers scheduled for the event include: Graham Vorster, country manager: Networking at Hewlett-Packard in South Africa and William A Hearmon, chairman of the African Broadband Forum.

For more information and to register, go to www.innovationdinner.co.za.