After successfully hosting the first Edition of the West Africa Telecoms Summit and Exhibition (WATISE), a regional gathering of telecoms players and stakeholders in the industry, all is now set for the second edition, WATISE 2.0, according to the organisers, TechnologyMirror, an ICT and Telecoms news cum information website.
Announcing the WATISE 2.0 in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, the
Convener Isaiah Erhiawarien, said the theme of this edition is “Shaping the
Future of the Telecoms Infrastructure Industry: Trends and Insights for a
Digital Economy”.
The statement said that this year focus will be on the
digital economy, the challenges of funding for the industry with particular
reference to rural telephony and the quest for the deployment of green energy
to tackle power generation crisis.
He said that the event which holds on April 18th at the
Lagos Oriental Hotel will bring together leading players in the industry
including the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission
(NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, who will deliver the keynote address and a major paper
presentation from the Chairman of the Association Licensed Telecommunications
Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr Gbenga Adebayo.
The WATISE 2.0 has been endorsed by the Association of
Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), while ICTLOCA,
Nigeria’s local content advocacy group is our technical partner.
The WATISE 2.0 will feature three panel discussion session
with focus on Enhancing Rural Connectivity: Strategies for Expanding Telecom
Infrastructure, The Big Data Issues, Digital Economy and Infrastructure Funding
Challenges in the Telecoms Industry, and Trends, Insights and Solutions in
Business Automation & Quest for Green Infrastructure.
The Convener said that WATISE 2.0 will offer opportunities
for stakeholders to discuss, learn and share relevant digital transformations
related to telecommunications infrastructure such as Submarine, Connectivity,
Security, Datacenter landscape, Internet Xchange and market trends that can
shape the industry’s future.
“The summit has been designed for telecommunications
operators, regulators, industry base organisations, policy formulators,
government agencies and consumers to discuss infrastructure trends, insights,
challenges and provide solutions.
“It is also a policy dialogue forum for governments in the
region and stakeholders to speak on market-centric issues and global tech
solutions’ impact on the regional economy.”
He stated that aim of the Summit is to redefine the future
of telecoms services in the region, such that reliability in telecommunications
infrastructure, protection, deployment and operation of such becomes crucial to
all stakeholders.
He noted that the Summit is targeted at telecoms companies,
4G/5G service/solution providers, telecom tower manufacturers, policymakers and
regulators and power solution providers.
Others were Infrastructure equipment manufacturers,
Infrastructure service providers, energy efficient technology providers,
renewable energy companies, infrastructure developers and Wireless internet
service providers among others.
According to the Convener, the event, which already has
registered participants from Tunisia, Egypt, Republic of Benin will explore the
abundant investment opportunities in the tech sector with the aim of attracting
more investors into the sector.