COMMONWEALTH FINANCE AND INVESTMENT FORUM FOR ICTs ANNOUNCED

COMMONWEALTH FINANCE AND INVESTMENT FORUM FOR ICTs ANNOUNCED

London, May 3, 2012 – The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) and international consultancy firm BroadGroup have announced that the new Commonwealth Finance and Investment Forum for ICTs will take place in London 16 November 2012. The conference aims to identify critical opportunities for investment and cooperation, and priorities in accelerating ICT development in Commonwealth countries. Attended by the financial leadership of telecommunications operators and technology firms, investors, private equity firms, legal counsel, regulators and professional intermediaries, the event is designed to facilitate high level networking and innovative international investment partnerships to stimulate ICT growth. The conference will be preceded by a special awards ceremony on the evening of 15 November, celebrating achievement in ICTs across the Commonwealth countries. It will include the prestigious CEO Award for Outstanding Leadership in Commonwealth ICT. “Finance and investment in ICTs is critical for Commonwealth countries to realise their potential,” said Bashir Patel, COO at the CTO. “This forum offers a unique platform for stakeholders in developing markets to network with fund owners, technology providers and investors.” The conference programme has five distinct themes that drive investment opportunity: • Digital Hubs and the way in which new location investment is creating information eco-systems • Vendor Financing and PPP Models • Accelerating Mobile Infrastructure and Revenue Growth • Regulatory and Legal Risk and Barriers and • Achieving Strategic Growth through Telecoms M&A Transactions. “The Commonwealth represents a significant number of emerging markets, particularly in Africa,” commented Philip Low, managing director of BroadGroup, “and the London forum will become an annual networking focus for players in these potentially enormous markets, and the professional sources of funding, advice and information that they will continue to require over the years ahead.” Sponsor and speaker opportunities are being invited for the event, which will be held at the America Square Conference Centre in the city of London.

The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is an international development partnership between the Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth governments, business and civil society organisations. It provides the international community with effective means to help bridge the digital divide and achieve social and economic development, by delivering to developing countries unique knowledge-sharing programmes in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the specific areas of Telecommunications, IT, Broadcasting and the Internet. BroadGroup was founded in 2002 to provide senior managers with a different perspective of new and emerging business niches, create new communities of interest, and inspire them with fresh insight on how they could be exploited profitably. Today, the company covers a portfolio of markets offering professional services through a value chain of bespoke consulting, market research, reports, and events. For more information on sponsorship or speaking opportunities, contact: events@cto.int