The African Telecommunications Sector in 2009: Frost & Sullivan Looks at Developments That Will Shape the Future

CAPE TOWN, South Africa -

Economic activity has slowed worldwide with the onset of the global economic crisis. Although a number of African countries entered into a recession in the second quarter of 2009, the global slowdown has had a lesser impact on African continent than in other parts of the world. Consequently, international investors are paying increasing attention to Africa as the next growth frontier.

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“Africa is the next global growth frontier and the telecommunications industry is a key driver of this economic expansion,” says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Mpho Moyo. “Key areas that will shape developments over the next few years will be governments’ focus on deregulation and privatisation, infrastructural developments, the provision and adoption of new applications and services.”

To offer decision makers a comprehensive overview of the opportunities in Africa’s telecommunications sector, Frost & Sullivan will be hosting an online analyst briefing on Thursday 5 November at 2:00 pm GMT/ 4:00pm CAT.

The session will cover key developments within the African telecommunications sector in 2009 and highlight the market and technological developments that will shape the future. Key growth opportunities will be provided together with strategic recommendations for how companies can capitalise on the opportunities identified. The briefing will benefit regulators, infrastructure vendors, network operators, systems integrators, investors and analysts by discussing emerging trends and providing forward projections for the African telecommunications sector.

While the telecommunications infrastructure in many African countries remains under-developed, several regulatory and infrastructural changes have taken place to create opportunities for vendors and network operators to provide new applications and services. For instance, several undersea cable projects are underway that are expected to increase the availability of bandwidth, leading to a significant reduction in telecommunications prices.

“In 2009, the SEACOM undersea cable landed, and this will be followed by the EASSy cable in 2010 and other projects like SAFE,” explains Moyo. “In addition, there is a widespread adoption of next-generation-network IP technologies that enable advanced communications solutions and services like unified communications and managed services.”

To participate in this briefing, please email Patrick Cairns at patrick.cairns@frost.com with the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail, address, company website and country. Upon receipt of the above information, a registration link will be e-mailed to you. You may also register to receive a recorded version of the briefing at anytime by submitting the aforementioned contact details.

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Contact: Patrick Cairns Corporate Communications T: +27-18-464-2402 E: patrick.cairns@frost.com www.frost.com

Source: Frost & Sullivan

Patrick Cairns, Corporate Communications of Frost & Sullivan, +27-18-464-2402, patrick.cairns at frost.com