The West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (Watra), in conjunction with the Economic Community of West African States Commission (Ecowascom) and the ICT/Posts Regulator of Senegal (ARTP) have perfected all arrangements to organize the 2nd Mobile Roaming Conference and Exhibition in Dakar, Senegal, come September 10 and 11 this year.
Watra, which consists of Independent National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and Departments for Regulation of Telecommunications Services (DRTS) was established by governments of the 15 member states in the Ecowas sub-region and Mauritania. Their operators and vendors are expected to participate in the two-day conference tagged: Consolidating the Gains of an African Roaming Network.
At this year’s edition of the conference, the director-general of ARTP and Minister of Telecommunications and ICT both of Senegal, Ecowas Commissioner and Watra Chairman are expected to participate in the opening activities and remarks, while our Nnamdi Nwokike, executive secretary of Watra, Mrs. Margarida Evora-Sagna of ITU, representatives of Zain, Orange, MTN, Etisalat would be among other discussants at the event.
According to a document from the office of the executive secretary of Watra, the roaming conference which is the second to be held in the sub-region, seek to explore the cross boarder interconnection opportunities in the current wave of roaming while deciphering all billing issues associated with the service.
The conference will also serve as venue where stakeholders would brainstorm on recent developments in the industry, make valuable contacts and networking with development and business partners. The audience will include but not limited to West Africa ICT regulators and policy makers, operators, vendors and stakeholders.
Key conference objectives include exploration of interconnection opportunities in the current wave of roaming in Africa, decipher all billing issues to give understanding to all stakeholders for a truly African roaming concept that will delight consumers and provide the networking and exhibition of products to stakeholders.
Participants expected at the event slated to hold in Hotel Savana, Dakar, include ICT regulators, key telecom operators, equipment vendors and suppliers, financial services providers, government policy makers, consumers and stakeholders.
It would be recalled that the 1st Mobile Roaming Conference and Exhibition in 2007 focused on Accelerating Customers Delight through roaming. The conference provided the platform for various stakeholders involved in the ICT policy making regulation and operators to exhaustively discuss the obvious and inherent benefits of roaming for consumers.
