Broadband internet boom set to boost convergence-based services

Comes as the Arab World's telecommunications and broadcast entertainment markets continue to experience strong growth in telecom subscribers and more competition, according to regional research house and conference organizer Arab Advisors Group, a member of the Arab Jordan Investment Bank Group.

The official opening ceremony will include addresses by HRH Princess Sumaya Bint Al Hassan, HE Eng. Bassem Al Rousan (Jordan's Minister of ICT), Dr. Diar Ahmad (CEO, AsiaCell), Dr. Saad Al-Barrak (Deputy Chairman and Managing Director (CEO), Zain Group), Mr. Mickael Ghossein (CEO of Jordan Telecom Group - Orange Jordan), Dr. Abdulmalik Jaber (Vice Chairman & CEO Paltel Group), Mr. Mohammad Omran (Chairman, Etisalat), and Mr. Osman Sultan (CEO, DU), Mr. Sam Barnett (COO, MBC) and Mr. Guido Baumhauer (Director of Strategy, Marketing and Distribution, Deutsche Welle).

Over the conference's two days, delegates will interact with an impressive array of speakers that include Mr. Ammar Aker (CEO, Jawwal), Dr. Ahmed Al Shatti (CEO, Zain Jordan), Mr. Steven Hall (CEO, CNBC Arabiya), Mr. Tamouh Khauli (VP Orange - Jordan Teleocm Group), Dr. Raed Khusheim (CEO and President, Selevision), Mr. Ihab Hinnawi ( CEO, Umniah) Mr. Michael Penner (CEO, Kulacom), Mr. Alex Shalaby ( Chairman, Mobinil), Mr. Philippe Vogeleer (Chief Strategy Officer, Orange Jordan), Mr. Mohamed Youssif (VP & Chief Commercial Officer, Arabsat), Mr. Khaled Hudhud (Director of Governmental & Regulatory Affairs, Umniah), Mr. Ahmed Ossama (Managing Director, TE Data), Ms. Doha Abdelkhaliq (Executive Director and Co-Founder, ESKADENIA Software), Mr. Husam Al-Mabruk (CEO, Royah Optimiza), Mr. Serif Beykoz (General Manager, Telenity), Mr. Thomas Brill ( International Sales Director, Orga Systems), Mr. Bo-Erik Dahlstrom (President and CEO, Ericsson Market Unit Middle East).

And Mr. Akram Faraj (Chairman and CEO, Emerging World Entertainment Holding), Dr. Ahmad Hiasat (Chairman of the Board of commissioners /CEO, TRC Jordan), Mr. Alan Horne (General Director, TRA Bahrain), Mr. Fadi Mujahid (General Manager, Game Power 7), Mr. Frank Oehler ( Head of Business Development New Growth Markets, Nokia Siemens Networks), Mr. Jawad Shaikh (Vice President and Region Head Middle East & Africa, Capgemini), Mr. Hassan Miah (CEO, URFILEZ),Mr. Janti Abdallah (Manager, BusinessONE Division, STS), Mr. Osama Ghoul (Managing Director, Devoteam), Mr. Jay Srage (VP Business Development, Mena Region and Central Asia, Qualcomm), Dr. Hans Christian Iversen (Director, FirstPartner), Mr. Zeid Nasser (Founder | mediaME.com, CEO | MediaScope|), Mr. Richard Warren (Managing Director, FirstPartner), Mr. Jawad J. Abbassi (Founder and General Manager, Arab Advisors Group) and Ms. Danya Nusseir (Senior Research Analyst, Arab Advisors Group).

By end of 2008, the Arab World had around 24 million broadband Internet users according to Arab Advisors Group's primary research in the region.

"While absolute broadband penetration in the Arab World may seem low by industrial countries standards, the effective household broadband penetration is much higher. This is related to higher number of people per household as well as line sharing between neighbors which is widespread in lower income countries." Jawad J. Abbassi, Founder and General Manager of Arab Advisors Group noted.

"While broadband sharing is illegal in many countries and does negatively affect quality, the Arab Advisors Group believes that the practice is widespread in the Arab World. The silver lining is that more households are connected to broadband Internet services which would positively affect adoption of Internet-based services such as e-commerce, multimedia, user generated content and e-government services." Mr. Abbassi added.

The Arab World's telecom and broadcast media boom has started to re-define the traditional boundaries that separated media and telecom companies and enable convergent services as operators chase revenues in non-traditional areas. Speakers and delegates at Arab Advisors' Media and Telecommunications Convergence Conference 2009 will deliberate threats and opportunities inherent in this landscape change.

Jawwal is the Main Sponsor of the Arab Advisors' sixth Annual Media and Telecommunications Convergence Conference 2009. Jawwal is the leading cellular communications company in Palestine and one of Paltel Group Companies that has recently merged with Zain Group.

Jawwal has crossed the 1.5 million customers mark proving to be a company that managed to address the needs of every individual and segment in the market. And as a result of its continuous investments to improve its services, Jawwal's network now covers 97% of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, it also has 25 showrooms and 400 distributors and dealers serving customers in every corner in the country. Moreover, with its international roaming agreements with 287 mobile operators, Jawwal customers can stay connected while travelling in 126 countries.

The annual conference also received the support and sponsorships from Asiacell ESKADENIA Software, QUALCOMM, Ericsson, Optimiza, Orange, Nokia Siemens Networks, Orga Systems and Umniah (Batelco Group).

40 visionary executives and industry leaders will address the conference. More than 425 delegates from over 125 different companies have already confirmed their attendance. As part of its vision to advance the knowledge and technology industries in the Arab World, the Arab Advisors Group has waived the delegate fees for telecom and broadcast operators. As for paying delegates, they receive their choice of Arab Advisors Group reports for the same value of the registration fees.

The sixth Annual Media and Telecommunications Convergence Conference 2009 will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Amman on June 1&2 2009 with the backing of 10 global and regional operators and companies. Furthermore, 12 global and regional companies will also be exhibiting at the conference.

The Arab Advisors Group's team of analysts in the region has already produced close to 1,550 reports on the Arab World's communications and media markets.