SAMENA council to host Beyond Connectivity 2017 conference in Oman

SAMENA Telecommunications Council, the tri-regional, non-profit telecommunications industry association that embodies a community of South Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African telecoms operators, manufacturers, and specialist ICT firms, has announced that its Beyond Connectivity 2017 (BYC) conference will be held on March 16th in Muscat, Oman. A major networking and thought leadership event for SAMENA Council's members and industry professionals, Beyond Connectivity series of conferences bring together representatives of the public and the private sectors, including telecom operators, technology companies and leading consulting firms, active within the ICT arena.

To be held under the theme, Building corridors in digital development, exclusively Diamond-sponsored by Oman's leading integrated communications service provider, Omantel, the day-long conference will provide a strategic knowledge-sharing platform for SAMENA Council's members to discuss the evolving telecommunications landscape and industry challenges, with specific emphasis on the Omani market. The event will delve into major industry matters, which will be deliberated on through panel discussions. Such matters including emerging sustainability challenges for the telecoms and ICT industry, industry fees and financial obligations for telecom operators, national digital policy development, digitization, including financial services, regulatory frameworks and challenges in cross-border data flows, among others.

Beyond Connectivity 2017 will also facilitate discussion of other revenue-generation opportunities for the operators, regulatory challenges faced by the industry as well as SAMENA Council’s role to represent the interest and vision of the industry players. Over the years, BYC has also served as a platform for companies to enhance corporate visibility, and to announce business partnerships and product launches.

Commenting on the significance of Beyond Connectivity 2017, Bocar A. BA, CEO, SAMENA Telecommunications Council said, “Dialogue, cooperation and coordination are important in today’s industry ecosystem and SAMENA Council has always been keen on providing a common platform for telecom operators and regulatory bodies to discuss various challenges, address the need to identify necessary regulatory and policy amendments to improve industry's performance and growth. Beyond Connectivity conference has had its share of successes in the past, and we intend to build on to those, and overcome any challenges that have been faced in the past."

Commenting on the importance of ‘Beyond Connectivity 2017’ conference, being hosted by the Sultanate; Talal Al Mamari, CEO of Omantel said, “We are pleased to welcome the participants and wish them all the best in the conference. Samena Conference is a common platform for leaders in telecom, to exchange experiences and discuss matters related to this vital sector such as, challenges and ways to develop the ICT sector in the Middle East. The Sultanates telecom sector is witnessing rapid growth and attracting latest technologies. Therefore, we are supporting this conference and participating in it by showcasing our experience in ICT which contributes in building a digital society and positioning Oman amongst advanced countries.

Beyond Connectivity 2017 will witness the participation of Oman's government sector leadership, along with a number of key ICT decision-makers. CEO Omantel and leaders from the industry have already confirmed participation. BYC presents an excellent opportunity for business leaders to directly reach out to their core audience.