eWorld, eBusiness Life join forces on broaband summit '11

Two leading Nigeria industry entities, eWorld Magazine and eBusiness Life Communications Limited have joined force to engage stakeholders at the 2011 annual Broadband Summit.

Chief executive officers of the two organisation, Mr. Aaron Ukodie and Mrs. Ufuoma Emuophedaro, confirmed this in Lagos, saying that the joint event tend to chart the next growth road map for the industry, especially in the broadband.

They explained that the partnership was borne out of the need to channel their focus on a consolidated and common industry growth strategy capable of furthering build-up to the event and ensure mass participation by all stakeholders.

The summit which theme focuses on “Strategies for driving Broadband Revolution and Mobile Ecosystem,” they said is aimed at bringing ICT stakeholders together to map out ways of utilizing the expected abundant bandwidth and focusing on the most viable ways for Broadband deployment in Nigeria.

Further they said it would broaden the perspective and ensure that attendance to the event slated to hold in Lagos on February 24, 2011, is not divided.

Mrs. Emuophedaro said that working together on this event would make it more focused and achieve better result that would benefit the industry as a whole.

“It will also ensure that we do not work across purpose, but work together on a common goal,” she said.

She noted that with the landing of submarine cables on the shores of Nigeria and the expected deluge of internet related activities, stakeholders at the event are expected to point out ways to further ensure the profitable use of available bandwidth to boost economic and social activities in the country.

“They are also expected to proffer direction to the deployment of broadband services around the country,” she said.

Analysts have noted that with the reality of the availability of Broadband technology on ground, the country would have to look for ways of channeling available bandwidth and ensuring that it gets to the hinterlands. “The biggest challenge might be last mile deployment. But how do we go about it? This is one of the things stakeholders will tell us at the event”, Mrs. Emuophedaro said.

In the same light, Mr. Ukodie noted that with the partnership, all participants would also partner to move the industry forward as a body.

Mr. Ukodie, the major objective of setting up and operating a unified ICT infrastructure platform and a national network backbone is to realize the MDGs through the facilitation of digital inclusion of underserved areas and rural communities. This, she observed, will be one of the focal points of the event.

The event is geared towards brining key stakeholders together to examine current successes and chart a new course for the future of Broadband connectivity in Nigeria.

The duo added that the summit would look at ways of ensuring availability of Broadband services to consumers all over the country, while underlining profitability for service providers.

Expected speaker at the event are decision makers from both government and private sector drawn from the various sectors of the economy.

Remmy Nweke:
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