Cebu hosts first Asian Carriers Conference

Around 150 delegates representing 56 telecom carriers and entities from Asia, Europe and the Pacific Rim will troop to Cebu City on June 1 to 3 as the Philippines hosts the 1st Asian Carriers Conference at the Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort Hotel.

Delegates to this international conference are expected to discuss significant developments in the telecommunications industry that could help spur economic development and business success during the three day meet .

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), facilitator and organizer of the event, views this conference as a convenient and effective venue for dialogue among carriers around the globe with business interests in Asia.

Claro Carmelo P. Ramirez, PLDT Group Head for International and Carrier Business, said this gathering will help telephone companies realize the opportunities that may be derived from the latest information and communications technology and thereby benefit consumers.

"The telecommunications industry is rapidly changing. Through this conference, we hope to keep up with the rapid technological changes and adapt quickly to new business models and ideas so we can offer the best services to clients," he explained.

He added that the conference would also help regional carriers to network with their regional peers through bilateral meetings and informal dialogues that could lead to future business partnerships.

Commission on Information and Communication Technology Chairman Virgilio Peña will deliver the keynote address while PLDT and Smart President and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno will give the welcome remarks. The National Telecommunications Commission will be represented by Deputy Commissioner Jorge V. Sarmiento.

Among the topics to be discussed during the conference are "Broadband Trends 2005 and Beyond (IP and VoIP)," "Creating value through M&A," "Paradigm Shift in Interconnect Business Optimization," and "Global Scale-Key to Success in Voice Business."

"We do hope to make this conference a yearly event and intend to make this very useful and productive for all the carriers," said Ramirez.

Other major sponsors for the event include major telecom players such as IDT Asia, Teleglobe Canada, Belgacom ICS, PCCW HK, and BayanTel, who all hoped to strengthen business ties among the telecom players in the region. The event is also supported by Telarix, Ascade, ECI, Alcatel, Nortel, IBM, Sprint, AT&T, MCI, Nextone and Phil Access.