By Kingsley I. Ilechukwu, Bureau Chief, South West

After successfully hosting the first Edition of the West Africa Telecoms Summit and Exhibition (WATISE), a regional gathering of telecoms players and stakeholders in the industry, all is now set for the second edition, WATISE 2.0, according to the organisers, TechnologyMirror, an ICT and Telecoms news cum information website.

Announcing the WATISE 2.0 in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, the Convener Isaiah Erhiawarien, said the theme of this edition was “Shaping the Future of the Telecoms Infrastructure Industry: Trends and Insights for a Digital Economy”.

The statement said that this year focus would be on the digital economy, the challenges of funding for the industry with particular reference to rural telephony and the quest for the deployment of green energy to tackle power generation crisis.

Mr. Erhiawarien said  the event  which  would hold on April 18th at the Lagos Oriental Hotel would converge leading players in the industry including the Executive Vice Chairman  and Chief Executive Officer(EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, who would deliver the keynote address and a major paper presentation from the Chairman of the Association Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr Gbenga Adebayo.

Cyber Era NG learns that the WATISE 2.0 has been endorsed by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), while ICTLOCA, Nigeria’s local content advocacy group, is the technical partner.

The WATISE 2.0 will feature three panel discussion session with focus on Enhancing Rural Connectivity: Strategies for Expanding Telecom Infrastructure, The Big Data Issues, Digital Economy and Infrastructure Funding Challenges in the Telecoms Industry, and Trends, Insights and Solutions in Business Automation & Quest for Green Infrastructure.

According to the  Convener , WATISE 2.0 will offer opportunities for stakeholders to discuss, learn and share relevant digital transformations related to telecommunications infrastructure such as Submarine, Connectivity, Security, Datacenter landscape, Internet Xchange and market trends that can shape the industry’s future.

“The summit has been designed for telecommunications operators, regulators, industry base organisations, policy formulators, government agencies and consumers to discuss infrastructure trends, insights, challenges and provide solutions.

“It is also a policy dialogue forum for governments in the region and stakeholders to speak on market-centric issues and global tech solutions’ impact on the regional economy,” he said.

He stated further  that the aim of the Summit was to redefine the future of telecoms services in the region, such that reliability in telecommunications infrastructure, protection, deployment and operation of such became crucial to all stakeholders.

He noted that the Summit was targeted at telecoms companies, 4G/5G service/solution providers, telecom tower manufacturers, policymakers and regulators and power solution providers.

Others include: Infrastructure equipment manufacturers, Infrastructure service providers, energy efficient technology providers, renewable energy companies, infrastructure developers and Wireless internet service providers among others.

According to the Convener, the event, which already had registered participants from Tunisia, Egypt, Republic of Benin, would explore the abundant investment opportunities in the tech sector with the aim of attracting more investors into the sector.