This year, the SAMENA Telecommunications Council Leaders’ Summit welcomed H.E. Maj. Gen. Amir Azeem Bajwa, Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority; H.E. Tania Aidrus, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Digital Pakistan;H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden, Founder of World Childhood Foundation; H.E. Houlin Zhao, Secretary General of the ITU; Mats Granryd, Director General GSMA; Isabelle Mauro,Head of Telecommunications at the World Economic Forum in the USA; Mark Spelman, Head of Thought Leadership at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland; and Dr. BoutheinaGuermazi, Director – Digital Development at The World Bank Group in the USA. Summit attendees also included senior executives from telecommunications service providers, local regulatory authorities, global NGOs, and other ICT industry professionals representing decision makers for different verticals and government entities in countries from across South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, Europe, and beyond.
Expanding 5G Ecosystem will boost Pakistan and Regional Economies During COVID-19 Recovery
H.E. Maj. Gen. Amir Azeem Bajwa, Chairman of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, noted: “We foresee our 5G ecosystem to serve as the bedrock of sustainable socio-economic development in Pakistan. Deployment of this transformative technology should be precisely timed, supported by intelligent regulatory initiatives, enabled by adequate spectrum resources, under favourable market conditions, and with the consensus of all stakeholders. I believe that the readiness of our telecom infrastructure will be sufficient to support 5G networks and services across the country.” H.E. Tania Aidrus, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Digital Pakistan, added: Charles Yang, President of Huawei Middle East, delivered the opening keynote of the summit, commenting:
The Summit was held under the theme “5G-X: Harnessing 5G Across Industries for Investment Revival”
The Summit was held under the theme “5G-X: Harnessing 5G Across Industries for Investment Revival” and highlighted how technology and ICT infrastructure play a significant role in our societies and economies. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need to strengthen digital infrastructure to better prepare societies for future crises and to make systems more resilient and sustainable, guaranteeing a better and more effective outcome. A shift to cloud, IoT, and better integration of AI into the public health response was also spotlighted, in addition to harnessing of other technologies for smart service delivery, which should be a key priority moving forward. Summit highlights included a dedicated Huawei 5G Ecosystem Conference held for the third consecutive year under the theme “Unleash 5G potential, build a better world”. Participants reviewed 5G ecosystem cooperation in the Middle East. How 5G paired with complementary technologies such as cloud, AI, and AI-driven autonomous and BVLOS commercial drone applications, can inspire newvertical industry applications. Today that ranges fromimproving SME competitiveness tothe digitization ofoil &gas operations in the Middle East and globally, all of which boost economic potential by enhancing industrial processes and productivity.
