Ahead of its Network X trade event in Paris next week (October 24-26), UK publishing and exhibitions group Informa has said the telecoms industry faces a “pivotal moment” to monetise its fibre and 5G network investments and reassert its influence in the developing digital economy. It has suggested that Network X is an essential forum for the industry to get to grips with new “business models, frameworks, and approaches”.
Network X, which integrates Informa’s Broadband World Forum and 5G World events from previous years, claims to be the “only [one] that brings together the fixed and mobile markets”. It is co-located with the Wireless Global Congress (WGC) EMEA – focused on Wi-Fi innovation for “operators, enterprises, places, and things”. Informa said “more than 150 leading solutions providers” are confirmed.
These include China Telecom, CIG, CommScope, F-Secure, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Huawei, Mavenir, Nokia, Plume, Qualcomm, TP-Link, ZTE – which appear variously as event sponsors, among others. Informa claims to have organised a “diverse” and “carefully curated” educational programme. The focus is mostly on developing new enterprise revenues; however, the consumer market, as always, will be up for discussion, too.
The event tagline is about the “telco to tech-co transformation”. Themes include the “growth of tech-cos, the convergence of 5G and fibre, and green networks”, with sundry keynote sessions, panel discussions, roundtables, and workshops set to unpick the gnarly challenges of “shift(s) in market positioning, approach and culture”. There will be headline addresses from BT Group, Orange Group, and Telefonica, notably.
Orange Group deputy chief Mari-Noëlle Jégo-Laveissière is to present a “deep dive into the idea of converging fibre and 5G assets to unlock new services”. Telefonica global chief technology officer Enrique Blanco and BT Group global chief technology officer Howard Watson will also appear on the so-called headliners stage, along with “other innovators and policymakers”.
A statement said: “[Speakers] will address changing market dynamics, investments in network technology and the growing influence of big tech in telecoms, as well as the impact of business models and approaches in B2B segments.” Informa has devised conference tracks around ‘big tech and hyperscalers’, ‘green networks and sustainability’, the convergence of fibre and 5G, and network security.
BT Business will chair a panel on the cloud-assisted “journey from telco to tech-co”, joined by Liberty Global, as part of the first track. CityFibre will present on ESG and CSR objectives, as part of the second. Orange Group’s keynote is the headline address in the third. BT Group’s panel on ‘how to deliver a secure and robust converged network’ is the key session in the last.
Meanwhile, Informa has organised a stage dedicated entirely to the French telecoms industry. Branded ConnectFrance, talks delivered in both French and English. Orange Group, Bouygues Telecom, Arcep, and the French National Frequency Agency (ANFR) are confirmed to speak. The goal is to “showcase the level of innovation and monetisation opportunities across both B2B and B2C, as well as the state of the French market,” said Informa.
Christopher Lycett, portfolio manager for Network X, said: “The programme… touches on so many critical areas for the telco industry…. [It] focuses on the critical issues around infrastructure investments and monetisation that currently face telcos… [It] highlights the changing state of telecoms and what a pivotal moment it is for the sector.”
He added: “Clearly there is a transformation happening and we aim to provide a platform for industry professionals to learn about the trends shaping the sector, network with the key players, and source… pioneering solutions. … This will enable telcos to tackle the future challenges and grasp the opportunities.”
Dario Talmesio, research director for service provider strategies at Informa-owned Omdia, said: “Market dynamics are shifting with ownership over the network becoming ever-more fragmented. With growing private equity investment, divestment of tower assets, emerging neutral hosts, hundreds of fibre-cos, and the growing role of hyperscalers, the telecoms landscape is shifting across a number of markets. Network X will bring together all these major infrastructure stakeholders.”
Network X will also host an awards ceremony for 250 guests at Hotel de Ville in Paris on October 25. Evan Kirchheimer, research vice president at at Omdia, said: “This year’s nominees… cast a light on some of the key issues that organisations are currently facing. Green networks, for example, and the need to reduce carbon emissions are becoming top priorities across the sector. However, to meet their commitments, operators will need to change how they manage their networks. We must continue pushing these discussions to drive progress in this area.”
