 Brian Longwe
CEO, Converged Technology Networks, Malawi
Brian Longwe has been building technology driven networks that connect Africans to each other and to the rest of the world for over 27 years. Over this period, he has co-founded and ran Internet Service Providers in Kenya, Uganda and Malawi. He also has facilitated the establishment of internet exchange points in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, DR Congo, Rwanda, and others. Brian has been involved in devleopment and review of ICT public policy, ICT related legislation and regulations for several African countries, and has served in various capacities in regional and continental initiatives that seek to address the policy, legal and regulatory challenges of intra-African connectivity and African internet development in general. Brian is currently co-founder and CEO of Converged Technology Networks, a broadband internet service provider in Malawi.
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 Shailendra Kumar Mishra
Chair, Focus Group on Costing Models for Affordable Data Services & Vice Chair, ITU-T SG3
Mr. S.K. Mishra is an officer of the Indian P&T Accounts and Finance Service. Mr. Mishra holds a Masters’ in Public Administration and an M.Phil in Social Sciences. He also holds a Master’s degree in ‘Sanskrit’ from University of Allahabad. He is a Life Member of the Indian Institute of Public Administration and the Bougainvillea Society of India. Over a career spanning about 30 years, he has worked in the Department of Telecommunications and Department of Posts in Government of India in various capacities in field offices and headquarters dealing with Finance, Project appraisal, Revenue management, Tariff setting and costing, Accounting, Internal Audit, Human Resource Management/Development, Establishment, General Administration and Training. He was Financial Advisor to the Government of India-UNDP (1996-2000) project on ‘Human Resource Development and Management in Telecom; executed with the help of ITU. From 2003 to 2005, he supervised the Telecom Revenue operation billing, Accounting and related IT systems, Tariffs and the Banking operations of MTNL, Mumbai. He served as DDG (PAF), Department of Posts, and Head of the Postal Accounts Organization from 2006-2008 and as Director General, National Institute of Communication Finance from 2008-2012. Thereafter he worked in Department of Telecommunications as in charge of Assessment of Non-tax revenues from telecom sector as well as the financial and economic analysis of Telecom licenses. From January 2015, he is working as Pr. Advisor (Financial and Economic Analysis) in the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). He is dealing with Tariff and economic regulation, Accounting separation, Costing of services, Financial and economic impact analysis of regulatory decisions, Assessment of economic and financial health and performance of the sectors regulated by TRAI, as well as Internal finance, Accounts and budgeting for the TRAI. He is also the Appellate Authority for TRAI for the matters relating to RTI Act.
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Daud Elvin Suleman
Director General, Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA)
Daud Elvin Suleman, the Director General of the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) is an avid technology enthusiast with over 18 years of experience in the fintech and banking sector. Daud worked with the first microbank that opened in Malawi, targeting rural and underserved markets with technologically based banking services; paperless banking halls and biometric identification. As a highly experienced IT practitioner in Malawi, Daud is heading a team of passionate professionals at MACRA which is aiming at deepening access to affordable, secure and quality communication services to all Malawians. |
 Dr. Christoph Stork
Founding partner, Research ICT Solutions
Christoph is one of the founders of Research ICT Solutions, and is a telecommunication regulatory and policy expert. He developed an ICT ecosystem benchmarking tool that allow policy makers and regulators to benchmark affordability, access, usage, infrastructure and competition against another country, a set of countries or regions. He also developed regulatory portals that transform data submitted by operators into actionable information for ICT regulators on a wide range of economic and ICT regulatory issues. His innovative research methodologies and solutions have become a reference point for national governments, multilateral agencies and donor organisations.
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 Rajkumar Upadhyay
Executive Director, C-DOT, India
Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, an officer of the Indian Telecommunication Services (ITS) of Government of India, is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Board, Centre for Developments of Telematics (C-DOT). His illustrious career includes 3 decades of technical expertise and leaderships in Telecom, Information Technology (IT), Defense and Broadcasting sectors. His previous assignments include Additional Director General & Head South India in Prasar Bharati, Deputy Director General, Department of Telecommunications, Govt. Of India and Advisor Telecom with Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). He also worked in various capacities in BSNL and in DRDO as a Scientist. He has also been the Chairman of the working group on ‘Policy and Regulation for South Asian Regulators Council (SATRC) during 2011-12. Currently, Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay is a Governing Council Member of Telecom Standards Development Society India (TSDSI), Broadband India Forum (BIF), Telecom Export Promotion Council (TEPC) and Telecom Centre of Excellence (TCOE). He has been Chairman of TSDSI outreach Committee. He is also the member of Confederation of Indian Industry (CIIs) National committee on Electronics manufacturing and National Committee on Telecom and Broadband, member IEEE and fellow IETE. He is the Chairman of New Technology Committee of BIF, member of the TSDSI Standing Committee on Standardization & Transposition and steering committee member of the apex council formed by Govt of India for ‘Bharat 6G mission’. Dr Upadhyaya is also the founding Member of esteemed ‘Bharat 6G Alliance’ formed for enabling India to become a leading global developer of IP, products and solutions of affordable 6G. He is also been nominated as Chair of Global Standardization Symposium (GSS) 2024. Dr Upadhyay has published various articles in journals and magazines and has also been chairman/member of many Task Force/ Telecom committees constituted by the Govt. of India for reforms in Indian telecom ecosystem. He has delivered Lectures at ITU (International Telecom Union) and premier institutes like Indian Institute of Management ( IIM Lucknow and Bangalore)Dr Upadhyay holds a Ph.D. in Corporate Strategy & Policy and Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from IIM Bangalore, M. Tech from IIT Roorkee and a certificate in International Public Policy from Syracuse University, USA. He is winner of several awards including: J.C. Bose award (1987) by Ministry of Defense, National e-Governance award (2007) by Government of India, CIO 100 award (2007), by International Data Group (IDG), Deepak C. Jain Award (2009) by IIM Bangalore.
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 Ghislain Nkeramugaba
IXP Development Expert
As the IXP Development Expert at the Internet Society, I primarily focus on the development of Internet exchange point critical infrastructure and peering and interconnection ecosystems. Prior to joining the Internet Society, i did some consulting work for the Internet Society in the area of IXP development. In the past, I occupied various technical and managerial roles in Internet companies, namely Internet Servie Providers, and the .RW country code top-level domain, in Rwanda. I am thrilled by the empowerment and the building of capacity by new generations. I enjoy good food and cooking. Beyond the technologies driving the Internet, I have a particular interest in understanding the economic and financial models that drive the Internet. With my family, I live in Rwanda, Central/East Africa.
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Rajendra Singh Senior Digital Development Specialist , Digital Development Global Practice, The World Bank
Rajendra has 42 years of experience in digital development sector. Currently working as Senior Digital Development Specialist, Global Digital Development Department, The World Bank, Washington DC for past 17 years. Have experience of working in telecom sector in more than 50 countries in all continents including FCV countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, West Bank, and Myanmar. Implemented The World Bank funded digital development projects in various countries and provided technical assistance on technical, policy and regulatory issues in telecom sector to various governments and regulators. Before joining The World Bank worked as Secretary, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Head, Mobile Network Division, TRAI for seven years. Worked with Indian Railways for about 18 years in different capacities including Director(Telecom). Have brief experience of about two years with UP State Electronics Development Corporation (UPTRON) and Bharat Electronics, Ministry of Defense undertaking. Areas of interest are 5G , spectrum management, cross-sector synergy between transport, energy, and telecom sectors and Digital Economy. Lectured in more than 100 national and international conferences, universities in India and abroad. Did my M.B.A from FMS, University of Delhi; M.Tech and B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from I.I.T Delhi and I.I.T Roorkee respectively.
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Aline Engrácia Camilo Gomes
Process Coordinator, Competition Superintendency, ANATEL Brazil
Aline Engrácia Camilo Gomes serves as the Process Coordinator in the Competition Superintendency at Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel). Mrs. Gomes holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Brasília (UnB).Her responsibilities include analyzing and monitoring top-down cost models adopted by telecommunications companies with significant market power. She also defines reference values for services in relevant markets and establishes the Expenses/Net Revenue ratio used in infrastructure business planning developed by Anatel. Furthermore, she successfully led the compliance analysis activities of the cost model adopted by service providers in 2021.
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Kyle Spencer
Chair, African IXP Association
Kyle Spencer is Chair of the African IXP Association and Uganda Internet Exchange Point. He has over 20 years of experience building content & interconnection ecosystems in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Kyle has contributed to the development of Internet exchange points (IXPs), carrier-neutral data centres, policy frameworks, grant programmes, and industry best practices. He has also established community organizations, founded industry associations, and organised notable events including Africa’s first international video gaming tournament.
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Ben Roberts
CTIO, Liquid Intelligent Technologies
Ben has been Liquid Telecom’s Group Chief Technology and Innovation Officer since 2017, having previously served as Liquid Telecom’s Chief Technical Officer since 2006. With over 20 years of experience across a range of technologies in design, support, integration, and operational management roles, he has led the group’s networking and product strategy, expanding its Technology base and Fiber network across Africa. Ben led the integration and business transformation as CEO of Liquid Telecom Kenya as CEO from 2013 to 2017 and remains in Kenya as Board Chairman. In his current role, Ben is driving innovation across the Liquid Telecom group, while exploring how to digitally transform our services and technology stack, launching new technologies and products to our customers, and helping our customers innovate using our services. Before joining Liquid Telecom, Ben was responsible for electronics design and satellite systems at Ericsson UK Limited. He also worked as an engineer with Lotus Cars, the British sports car manufacturer. Ben holds a BSc- Hons Physics from the University of Bristol in the UK. Ben is passionate about STEM education and how it can be enabled by ICT and is a Board Committee Member of Young Scientists Kenya (YSK).
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H.E. Moses Kunkuyu Kalongashawa
Minister of Information and Digitalization, Malawi
Honourable Moses Kunkuyu Kalongashawa was appointed into Malawi Cabinet as Minister of Information and Digitalisation on February 1, 2023. He is serving as Minister of Information and Digitalisation for the second time having been appointed into the same portfolio in 2012 when he became the youngest Minister of Information and Digitalisation. Before his current appointment into Cabinet, he was serving as Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Malawi, His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera. Honourable Kunkuyu Kalongashawa is a Malawian politician who served as Member of Parliament for Blantyre City South between 2009 and 2014. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and diplomas in ICT, and in Criminal Law.
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MC Sathish Kumar
Deputy Administrator, Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), Government of India
Mr. MC Sathish Kumar is a 2014 batch officer of Indian Civil Services. He is currently working in New Delhi in the Ministry of Communications as Deputy Administrator in Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and deals with the financial matters of the Fund which is setup to plug the digital divide in Rural and Remote areas. Before joining USOF, he was working in the field unit of Department of Telecommunications as Joint Controller in the telecom circles. Prior to joining the prestigious Indian Civil Services in 2014, he was working as Project Manager in Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), a central government public sector undertaking, taking care of the civil infrastructure projects. He started his career as a Software engineer in Infosys technologies limited. He did his Bachelor in Civil Engineering from College of Engineering, Anna University, Chennai and completed micro Masters in Data, Economics and Development Policy (MITx DEDP) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. He is actively involved in the ITU-T Study Group 3 activities which deals with the policy, economic and regulatory aspects of International Telecom/ICT matters and holds the position of Associate Rapporteur in two Questions of ITU-T SG3, Rapporteur in ITU-T SG3 Asia-Oceania region and as Editor for several work items in SG3. Also, he is Vice-Chair for the WG1 of ITU FG on Costing Models for Affordable Data Services.
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Umar Ssemakula
Senior Officer, Competition and Pricing, Uganda Communications Commission
Umar is a utility regulation specialist with more than 10 years’ experience as a policy and regulatory economist. Umar works with the Uganda Communications Commission, the communications regulatory authority in Uganda with a special focus on price regulation, development of licensing regimes, competition policy, digital inclusion, and economic regulation. In the realm of costing, Umar has actively participated in various telecommunication costing exercises in Uganda and has contributed to regulatory interventions towards promotion of equitable telecom and broadcast services, licensing regimes, enhancing consumer protection as well as promoting interoperability regimes. Umar also remains an active member of the ITU-T Study Group 3 on international telecommunications policy and economic issues. Additionally, he holds a pivotal role within the East African Communications Organisation (EACO) working group 6, which focuses on service pricing and industry analysis. His active involvement in this capacity contributes significantly to the formulation of regional telecom strategies. |
Annie BaldeoExecutive Officer Policy, Planning and Economics, TATT
Ms. Annie Baldeo is the Executive Officer, Policy, Planning and Economics at the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT). She has served with TATT for approximately twenty years where she is responsible for policy development, statistical indicators, strategic planning, costing modelling and competition analysis. She contributes to the publication of Trinidad and Tobago industry’s Market Reports and was previously appointed vice-chair of the International Telecommunications Union international expert group on benchmarking telecommunications and ICT indicators. Prior to this position, Annie was employed with organisations both in the private and public sector including the National Information and Communication Technology Secretariat of the Ministry of Public Administration where she was involved in the development of Trinidad and Tobago’s first National ICT Plan. Her academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management, Economics and Finance from the University of the West Indies, and an MBA in Strategic Planning.
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Paulos B NyirendaChairman of the Malawi ISP Association (MISPA)
Dr Nyirenda is the chairperson the Malawi Internet Service Providers Association, MISPA, where he chairs the management committee for MISPA and the Malawi Internet Exchange (MIX). Paulos Nyirenda was born and lives in Malawi. He is the national coordinator of Malawi SDNP which operates the Malawi country code top level domain, the Malawi .mw ccTLD. Dr Nyirenda has held senior academic staff positions. He holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from UNSW, Australia, and has produced a number of articles and publications. Dr Nyirenda holds and has held many other important positions in society including president of the Africa Top Level Domain Organization (AFTLD), Board Member of AFRINIC, Board Member of Malawi Digital Broadcast Network Limited (MDBNL), Member of the ccNSO Council of ICANN, Chairman of The Malawi National Cyber Security Technical Committee … etc. Here he will talk on the case on the Malawi Internet Exchange (MIX) and international Internet connectivity for Malawi.
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Arseny Plossky Deputy head of laboratory, EMC Analysis Centre, Radio Research & Development Institute (NIIR)
Arseny Plossky is a distinguished telecommunications and ICT specialist with a progressive career at the Radio Research and Development Institute, advancing from Engineer to Deputy Head of Laboratory since 2007. He has played a significant role in national and international telecom forums, notably as Vice-Chairman of APEC's Digital Economy Steering Group and a contributor to ITU activities, focusing on spectrum management and economic aspects of telecommunications. Arseny holds an advanced degree from Moscow Technical University of Communication and Informatics and is preparing to defend his doctoral thesis. His work is published in key industry symposiums, highlighting his contributions to digital dividend implementation and spectrum sharing for 5G networks.
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Fiona AsongaChief Executive Officer of Technology Service Providers Association of Kenya (TESPOK)
Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) specialist, Fiona Asonga is the Chief Executive Officer of Technology Service Providers Association of Kenya (TESPOK) that operates the Kenya Internet Exchange Point and Industry Computer Security Incident Response Team. Fiona has 20 years working experience in the ICT sector, 17 of which have been at TESPOK; as a liaison for the private sector with governments in the East Africa region, on ICT policy and regulations through the East Africa Communications Organization (EACO), where TESPOK is a member. Fiona is keen on the use of the internet by all in a safe manner that promotes social, economic and political development of society and multi-stakeholder engagement for digital development. She was appointed in 2022 as an Executive Council Member of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum Supporting Association (UNIGFSA) and has in the past been a volunteer in various organizations that drive ubiquitous internet access and growth such as, AFRINIC, Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) - Address Supporting Organization- Address Council and the Public Interest Registry. Fiona is a strong advocate of policy and regulations that facilitate investor participation in the ecosystem, diversity and inclusion. Fiona’s ability to breakdown government policy to highlight ICT business opportunities positions her as an ICT Industry Thought Leader at the national, regional and global sphere. She sets the pace in offering impactful leadership by transforming society with ICT.
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Andrew NyirendaDirector of Economic Regulations, Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA)
Andrew Nyirenda is an economist working with nearly ten years of experience in economic and competition regulation in the ICT sector. He has led several key regulatory works in Malawi including the development and implementation of cost models and pricing frameworks for the telecommunications service in Malawi, developed and drafting of economic regulations - tariffs, interconnection, and facilities leasing (infrastructure sharing), provided guidance and advice on tariff regulation, supervision of three ICT access and usage survey since 2014, conducted three market definition and competition assessments since 2015 as well as the development and implementation of the converged licensing framework and spectrum pricing methodology in Malawi. Currently, he is actively focusing on the implementation of the diplomatic data corridor (DDC) initiative on international internet connectivity with Malawi’s neighbouring countries, the establishment of the fibre optic network from Liwonde in Malawi to Nacala in Mozambique, and regional roaming initiatives. Previously, he worked as a Chief Economist with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs from 2002 and has over ten years of experience in economic management and policy analysis at a senior level.
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Bridget Chibwana Board Chairperson, Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA)
Mrs Chibwana is the current Board Chairperson of MACRA. She is spearheading the implementation of the Authority’s 5-year Strategic Plan ensuring communications services for a digitally transformed nation. Overall, she is championing the universal service fund, the innovation and development fund, and a cybersecurity drive under the Malawi Cybersecurity Emergency Response Team (MwCERT). She is a practicing consultant with vast experience in planning, developing, and conducting qualitative assessments of Gender, Human Rights, and HIV Prevention Programs; Strategic Planning; Institutional Development; Capacity Building of national and community led organizations; and Social and Behaviour Change Communications. Mrs Chibwana is the co-founder of HCDM Consulting firm. As a consultant, she has provided technical assistance to various institutions in Malawi such as the National AIDS Commission (NAC); United Nations Systems; Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS; Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare; Southern African AIDS Trust (Malawi); and in southern Africa region, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), among several others. Prior to becoming a consultant, Mrs Chibwana has worked as Director of Policy and Programmes and Head of Behaviour Change and later acting Executive Director of NAC; Head of Development Communications at Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF); and Management Consultant at Malawi School of Government (MSG). She has also worked with Malawi Government in different capacities as a Secondary School Teacher, Personal Assistant to Malawi’s Vice President and Personal Assistant to Secretary to the President and Cabinet.
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Aminata Drame Program Director Infrastructures and Network in Africa (Orange Group)
Aminata has a technical expertise, a good understanding of African markets and connectivity in Africa. With over 20 years of experience within the Orange Group in Sub-Saharan Africa, and through various missions in multicultural and competitive environments, she has gained profound knowledge of the markets and specific challenges faced in this region. Formerly CEO of OINIS Africa (Orange International Network, Infrastructures, and Services), she is since September 2023 tasked to elaborate the infrastructure and network strategy in Africa for the Orange Group. In addition to her ability to lead large-scale strategic initiatives, she has a strong commitment to the development of ICT services and connectivity particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. She is member of the management team of Study group 3 of ITU and chair of Working Group 3 on General Economic and Policy Factors Related to the Enablers of ICT Services. She has a solid understanding of the regulatory environment in Africa and expertise in wholesale, infrastructure, and international internet connectivity. She actively participates in several other telecommunications study groups in Africa (such as the African group of the ITU, Smart Africa, CTOA, COFTEL, ECOWAS, and ATU). She chairs Working Group 2 of the african telecommunication Union for the preparation of the WTSA 2024.
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Caroline Mbugua Senior Director, Public Policy, SSA, GSMA
Caroline Mbugua HSC has a passion for realising a digital Africa. She is the Senior Director Public Policy and Communications for Sub-Saharan Africa, at the GSMA and holds a Head of State Commendation from the president of the Republic of Kenya in recognition of the contribution she has made in shaping the ICT landscape in Kenya. At the GSMA, she leads the development of industry policy positions and implementation of the same through Government Relations in Sub-Saharan Africa aimed at shaping the digital transformation agenda in the region. She has over 17 years of experience in the Telecommunication industry, with a strong command of various key issues such as digital inclusion, financial inclusion, data privacy and protection, spectrum management, and competition among others. Caroline holds an MBA from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, a Public Policy certification from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is an alumnus of Strathmore Business School, Public Policy Executive Program
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