High level debates at the event will tackle the core issues that are shaping the global ICT landscape in the age of broadband technology, including the pathway to a connected world; future internet; the spectrum edge; smarter lives; frameworks for innovation; heads in the cloud; social networks and privacy; the Internet of Things and more. Among the top-level speakers invited to participate in forum discussions are industry and government leaders including Randall L. Stephenson (Chairman and CEO, AT&T), Ben Verwaayen (CEO, Alcatel-Lucent) and Sunil Bharti Mittal (Founder, Chairman and Group CEO of Bharti Enterprises), Jianzhou Wang (Chairman, China Mobile), Denis O’Brien (Chairman, Digicel Group), Neelie Kroes (European Commissioner for Digital Agenda and European Commission vice president), Masami Yamamoto (President, Fujitsu), Yafang Sun (Chairperson, Huawei), Paul S. Otellini (CEO, Intel), Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Thani, (Chairman, Qtel) and Lirong Shi (President, ZTE).
“ITU Telecom is unique in that we alone can leverage forty years’ experience of facilitating industry debate across public and private sectors into a platform for real global change, shaping our collective, networked future,” said ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Tour. “I am excited to be welcoming leading stakeholders from governments, industry and research worldwide to address together the key issues of connectivity – and drive the implementation of broadband as a vital enabler of social and economic development globally.”
Highlights of ITU Telecom World 2011 will also include:
- Invitation-only Broadband Leadership Summit for Heads of State and Governments, members of the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Digital Development and other key players
- Digital Cities Conference debating how the wider industry can apply connected technology solutions to the key challenges of urbanization
- National and Thematic Pavilions showcasing advancements in connected technologies and how these innovations are improving quality of life in areas such as healthcare, education, finance and entertainment
- Interactive workshops, debates and showcases for projects presented by young and digital innovators
The event, to be held at Geneva-Palexpo from 24 to 27 October, will welcome major players such as Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, China Mobile, Cisco, Ericsson, Fujitsu, Huawei, Intel, NTT Group, Research in Motion, Samsung, Telkom SA, Turk Telecom, ZTE and more. National Pavilions from countries representing nearly half a billion people from across Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe will showcase the very best in innovation and investment opportunities in those markets.