Beirut, Lebanon
9 November 2009

Hands on or hands off?: Stimulating growth through effective ICT regulation

GILF Chairman: Dr. Saad Al Barrak, CEO, Zain

Mr Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

 

09.00 – 10.00

GILF-GSR GRAND OPENING followed by GILF OPENING

10.00 -10.30

Coffee Break

10.30 – 12.00

SESSION 1 : IMPACT OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS ON ICT INVESTMENT

Moderator: Mr Stewart White, Stewart White Consulting

Panelists:

- Mr Ahmed bin Ali, Senior Vice President Corporate Communications, Etisalat

- Mr Peter Pitsch, Executive Director of Communications Policy and Associate General Counsel, Intel

- Mr Robert Pepper, Vice President, Global Technology Policy, Cisco Systems

- Ms Olga Madruga-Forti, Vice President, Regulatory and Legal, Iridium. Contribution 1, contribution 2

- Mr Adam Denton, Head of Regulatory Policy, GSMA. Contribution
 

• What can industry, governments and regulators do together to face challenging economic conditions and scarce financing and continue ICT development progress?
• What role can broadband play in widening ICT access and stimulating economic growth?
• How can regulators create an environment conducive to investment in ICT broadband networks?

12.00 -14.00

 Lunch Break

14.00 – 15.00

Session 2 : UNIVERSAL ACCESS POLICIES IN THE 21st CENTURY

Moderator: Mr. Brian Goulden, Chief Strategy Officer, Pygma Consulting
 

Panelists:

- Mr Jeff Molobela, Chairman, Telkom South Africa

- Mr Navaidul Islam Khan, President, VNL

- Mr Pablo Pfost, Director of Regulatory Strategy, Telefonica, Contribution

- Ms Gabrielle Gauthey, Senior Vice-President of Public Affairs, Alcatel-Lucent , Contribution

- Ms Lynne Dorward, Group Chief Regulatory Officer, Zain Group, Contribution

- Mr Nguyen Manh Hung, Deputy General Director, VIETTEL

• What role can USFs play in accelerating universal access?
• What approaches should be widely adopted to stimulate broadband roll-out in underserved communities? Infrastructure sharing? Licensing incentives? Tax breaks? Public-private partnerships?
• What factors are making near universal access to voice connectivity possible and how can this experience be replicated for broadband?

15.00
-16.00

 Session 3 – IP AND TELECOM CONVERGENCE

Moderator: Walda Roseman, CEO, CompassRose International
 

Panelists:

- Mr Don Gustavo de la Garza, Chairman, Marcatel

- Ms Jacquelynn Ruff, Vice President, International Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Verizon

- Mr Michael Thatcher, Regional Technology Officer, Middle East and Africa, Microsoft, Contribution

- Mr Bosco Fernandes, Senior Marketing Manager, Nokia Siemens Networks

- Mr Adry Elmilady, Director of Strategic Finance, Qualcomm

- Mr Philippe Vogeleer, Chief Strategy Officer/Secretary General, Orange Jordan

• How will convergence play out in different markets?
• What opportunities will lead to increased revenues in a converged environment for telecommunications operators, internet service providers, software/content companies and others?
• Is there a role for Net neutrality? Should all traffic be priced the same and have the same priority?
  Can converged markets self-regulate? What should be the role of regulators?

16.00 –16.30

Coffee Break

16.30
-17.30

 Wrap Up Session

- Dr. Saad Al Barrak, CEO, Zain

- Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

Approval of ICT industry conclusions to be presented to GSR.

Gala Dinner