Connect 2 Connect

‘Meaningful Connectivity’ Summit 2023

6th – 7th September 2023

Zanzibar

Zanzibar has been selected as the location for the annual C2C Summit.

ICT prices and Quality of Service continue to fall short of targets in many parts of Africa. Without increased investment, improved access to international bandwidth, and better regional cooperation, the same issues will persist. With more undersea cables landing on the continent recently, opportunities to make big improvements are available now. Investment is needed to take connectivity inland and across borders, ensuring supply can meet demand across the continent. C2C is designed to facilitate interaction across sectors and deal making between important decision makers, and provides an opportunity for service providers and investors to engage with policy makers and regulators to create a sustainable thriving ecosystem.

The C2C summit attracts a high caliber of attendee. Attendance is restricted to senior decision makers from across Africa, who play a key role in the digital transformation of their country and is limited to around 300 attendees with all delegate participants qualified to participate. The summit will also be attended by carefully selected international investors, consultants, solution providers and vendors, all vetted to ensure relevance to the objectives of the attendees. Alongside a World class conference agenda, attendees enjoy high level networking opportunities, focused workshops and facilitated business meetings over the 2 days of the summit. Delegates leave a C2C summit with valuable, new knowledge and useful resources. They make high level connections with peers and potential partners, gain valuable insights through the panels, keynotes and workshops and assess potential solution partners, new ideas and innovative advances in technology through private meetings and networking.

Agenda

This is an exciting time for Africa’s connectivity agenda. The Summit brings together the leaders of the Telecoms and ICT Market.

DAY 1

8:00 – 9:30

REGISTRATION & NETWORKING

9:30 – 10:30

WELCOME & OPENING CEREMONY

Master of Opening Ceremony – Head of Communications – Ministry of Information, Communication & Information Technology Tanzania

WELCOME CEO Extensia

Headline Sponsor –

Conference Programme Sponsor-

Director General – TTCL

Director General- TCRA

Keynote Opening National Objectives and Priorities – Minister – Ministry of Information, Communication & Information Technology Tanzania

10:30 – 11:00

NETWORKING BREAK – PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

11:00 – 11:45

State of the Industry – Operators Panel

Regional MNOs and FNOs provide insights into future growth plans and what is needed from the ICT ecosystem to support these plans, from policy and regulation to collaboration

11:45 – 12:30

Digital Resilience – Panel

Theft, vandalism, cyber-attacks and damage due to natural causes disrupt network availability. We bring industry leaders together to share best practices and insights around network and infrastructure security

12:30 – 12:45

Presentations SOLUTION SHOWCASES

Short presentations from attending vendors and solution providers, showcasing solutions

12:45 – 14:15

NETWORKING LUNCH

14:15 – 15:00

Outsourcing and Partnerships– Panel

Evolving digital ecosystems are recasting the traditional roles for partners, vendors and contractors. Speed and scale of network rollout calls for renewed engagement with Towercos, Infracos, VNOs and data centres. We explore the benefits and the concerns associated with the transition towards effective outsourcing

15:00 – 15:15

Fit-for-purpose Regulation – Keynote

Long-term stability of markets requires stable environments for domestic and international investors. We show how regulators can find that elusive balance between local and global priorities for services, sovereignty, and security.

15:15 – 15:45

NETWORKING

15:45 – 16:30

Sustainable and Thriving Ecosystems – Panel

Talent and diversity are key for long-term success of Africa’s ICT infrastructure. How are tech players improving their talent quotient? How is gender empowerment ensured? I don’t think this last component aligns

16:30 – 17:15

Connected Tanzania –Panel

An insightful spotlight onto how the government of Tanzania continues to support the growth of national connectivity through innovation and commitment, while also boosting cross-border connectivity to neighboring countries

17:15

Conference Chairman – Closing Remarks

18:30

Evening Reception

Day 2

09:00

Coffee Morning / Networking

09:30 – 09:45

Connecting for the Future – Keynote (UNICEF or Giga)

Africa has the largest youth dividend in the world, and it is key to ensure that all educational institutes have broadband access and relevant local content. We look at pan-African initiatives for educational connectivity, and exemplary cases of national ed-tech/ capacity building policy.

09:45 – 10:30

The Digital On-Ramp – Panel

Powerful and affordable devices are the entry point for the digital ecosystem for consumers and businesses. This panel takes stock of cost and affordability of devices in Africa, ranging from phones and laptops to SME and enterprise infrastructure.

10:30 – 11:15

Robust Broadband Networks – Panel

The pandemic accelerated demand for ICTs, online content, and virtual collaboration. Consumers and businesses continue to show voracious appetite for data and bandwidth. We explore new connectivity options such as 5G, Fibre, Edge DCs, Open RAN, Virtual RAN, HTS Satellite and beyond; emerging technology stacks, and how high speed and high-capacity infrastructure needs to evolve

11:15 – 11:45

NETWORKING BREAK

11:45 – 12:20

Smart Infrastructure – Panel

Cloud-based infrastructure and responsive mechanisms based on AI and ML have the potential to dynamically improve service levels. They also deliver valuable predictive insights about traffic patterns, load shifts and even customer behaviour. This panel address key issues of efficiency, security, and data sovereignty

12:20 – 13:00

Rural Empowerment – Panel

Two-pronged strategies must address urban as well as rural markets in Africa. We examine how new technologies and innovative business models can enable economic viability of connecting sparse rural populations. Approaches must go beyond basic access to livelihood generation and empowerment, for broader business outcomes.

13:00 – 14:30

NETWORKING LUNCH

14:30 – 15:15

Network Portfolios – Panel

The diversity of Africa’s geography and markets calls for connectivity solutions that blend modalities like Fiber, Satellite, Mobile and Wireless. Through specific case studies, we examine how industry associations, tech firms, and business leaders have balanced local priorities to deliver the optimal financial and social impacts for such ecosystems.

15:15 – 16:00

National Digital Strategies – Regulatory Panel

We feature a range of experts who show how progressive and visionary governments can accelerate national ICT networks through approaches such as equitable spectrum policy and digital tariffs. Regulators can also facilitate better partnerships between governments and private sector players at the national and regional levels.