Interconnection & Wholesale

• Outlining the future challenges and opportunities facing telecoms operators in terms of interconnection and wholesale revenues:
  • Next Generation Networks
  • regulation
  • convergent services and networks
• How can operators position themselves to harness new interconnection and wholesale opportunities and who will emerge as the dominant players?
• To what extent is technology driving the future of interconnection and how should the commercial side keep pace with the change?
• Examining the impact of IP networks and Fixed-Mobile Convergence on interconnection

• Understanding the impact on traditional interconnect business models from the deployment of NGNs and increased FMC service deployment
• How will interconnection business models adapt to accommodate new services that function independently of the network?
• Comparing the relative profitability of retail and wholesale business models, where can the highest margins be made?
• Examining the pros and cons for voice-only interconnect agreements
• Crafting interconnect agreements with non-traditional telecoms players such as ISPs and cable TV companies

• Examining the new EU regulatory framework and its impact on roaming and interconnection
• Outlining the timeframes for the imposition of new regulation and how operators should prepare for the new demands upon them
• What is the role of NRAs in implementing the new European Regulatory Framework?
• How will regulation of fixed-line operators with significant market power be adapted to encompass mobile operators?
• To what extent might heavy regulation act as a disincentive for operators to invest in NGNs?

As mobile operators and regulators lock horns once again over the issues of roaming and interconnection rates, the debate continues as to whether the telecoms market requires more or less regulation to foster competition and protect the consumer. This panel discussion will let you join the debate on the case for deregulation.

• How should interconnection be defined and what is the impact of the definition on the nature of regulation?
• To what extent is regulation necessary to ensure competition in the telecoms market and to what extent does it harm operators?
• In what ways can regulators and operators effectively work together to produce the optimal regulation for both operators and consumers
• Can competition regulators effectively manage the telecoms market or is the participation of telecoms regulators necessary?

• Is it appropriate to create a unique price level for mobile termination?
• Examining the suitability of glide path models as appropriate regulatory instruments
• Defining a "fair" model for regulatory intervention in mobile termination pricing
• Addressing experiences from regulatory intervention regarding mobile termination in the EU review process

• Examining the regulatory challenges of interconnection in emerging markets
• What are the current options open to regulators in emerging markets?
  • Improve flagging GSM interconnect regulation or concentrate on NGN interconnection?
• Effectively working with national regulatory bodies in emerging markets to secure comprehensive interconnect agreements
• Examining interconnection and access in remote areas and the opportunities for incumbent and new entrant operators to expand their reach
• Adapting best practices from interconnect agreements in developed telecoms markets to the specific conditions in developing markets

• Outlining the differences between traditional telecoms interconnection and interconnection with content providers
• Technically bridging the network gap between the operator and content provider network through third party agreements
• What do content providers look for in interconnection agreements and how can operators leverage this to win content partners?
• What is the process of transaction sharing over interconnected networks and what are the available models?
• Developing strategies to minimise and resolve disputes with content providers and effectively settling financial payments

• Outlining the regulation of the Slovenian wholesale market
• Examining the impact of regulation on development of new services
• Is the regulation of the access and call origination mobile market the proper way to achieve competition for convergent services?
• Why deregulation? Examining the impact of deregulation on wholesale and interconnect strategies

• How will FMC redistribute interconnect revenue between fixed and mobile operators and what will the impact be on cost structures in the telecoms market?
• Assessing the impact on consumer pricing from the shifting relationship between fixed and mobile operators within FMC
• Exploring the potential pricing principles that will define interconnect charging within FMC

• What should a Reference Interconnection Offer for NGNs contain and what should be included?
• Examining the differences between traditional GSM interconnection and those on NGN networks and how this will impact the interconnect business model
• Incorporating the additional services that IP networks can offer into an interconnect agreement
• Including reliable QoS forecasting and setting manageable QoS in an NGN interconnect agreement
  • what QoS measures should be used in NGN interconnect agreements within the wholesale market?
• How can agreements between layers in the NGN value-chain be brokered? Is there a case for a "mother company" to deal with all agreements?

• Overcoming the challenges of connecting TDM and IP services
• Developing interconnection models between operators in a pure NGN environment
• Examining the impact on interconnection if operators fail to agree new interconnection models
  • will interconnection between legacy and NGN networks become the de facto standard in an all-IP environment?
• Delivering new services over IP networks while maintaining optimal QoS
• How will different NGN applications create different technical demands on the quality of IP connection they use?

• Outlining the way networks interconnect within FMC and the various technologies enabling this interconnection – UMA, SIP, IMS
• Creating interoperable services irrespective of the equipment and number of networks involved
• To what extent is SIP interworking a stepping stone to IMS-based multimedia services?
• What are the technical challenges of creating multiple network interworking without loss of QoS
• To what extent will the cost of FMC networks and technologies affect the business models for interconnection?
  • will higher interconnection costs offset the cost of investing in new technologies?

VoIP and wireless VoIP technologies have the potential to transform the telecoms market and interconnection between VoIP services and between VoIP and traditional telecoms services is a vital issue still under debate.VoIP technologies, and the new players that have entered the telecoms market because of them, may rewrite the way interconnection is defined and managed. This panel discussion will allow you to join the debate on VoIP interconnection and its impact on the telecoms market.

• How does VoIP and wireless VoIP interconnection differ from traditional interconnection?
• How can VoIP services successfully interconnect with mobile networks?
• Is outsourcing a viable way of dealing with VoIP interconnection?
• What is the impact of number portability on VoIP interconnection?

• How will the mobile-to-mobile and fixed-to-fixed interconnection pricing principles be effected by interconnection within FMC?
• How will operators effectively price NGN interconnection – by time or by data usage?
• Effectively pricing to overcome the difference between current fixed and mobile termination rates
• Examining the implementation of accounting separation within converged and NGN networks

• What actions do operators have to take to create effective pricing principles in the transition period towards NGNs?
• Outlining the pricing models that operators can exploit:
  • top down vs. bottom up LRIC models, which is more appropriate?
• Exploring the regulatory challenges of bundled retail offerings within FMC and how these can be addressed in relation to accounting separation

Generate Maximum Interconnect Revenues? The future of telecommunications will see the traditional telecoms and internet worlds coming together. This in turn will bring together two differing interconnect models, that of internet peering and telecoms interconnection. In a converged world what form will interconnect agreements take? This panel discussion will allow you to join the debate on the future of interconnection agreements and pricing principles.

• Will internet peering or traditional telecoms interconnect models form the basis for interconnect agreements in a converged telecoms environment?
• Is there scope for a hybrid agreement encompassing the two agreement types?
• How will prices be set and quantified in an IP world?

• Outlining Market developments that are leading operators to migrate to NGNs
• Effectively dividing the risks of investing in NGNs
• Exploring NGNs and the limited role of access regulation
• Should LLU obligations apply to NGNs?
• What is the impact of NGNs for the 2006 Review of the EU Regulatory Framework?

• Outlining the approach to the growth of FMC services
• How will regulation or the lack of regulation affect competition within FMC services?
• Defining who should pay whom within an FMC service - who is the supplier of interconnection services and who is the purchaser?
• Assessing the likely timeframes for the introduction of FMC specific regulation

• Examining the legal situation of FMC number portability
• Highlighting call termination and interconnection challenges that will arise with FMC porting, in terms of:
  • customer services
  • routing and billing
  • inter-carrier relations
• Putting commercial and regulatory strategies in place to ensure that FMC portability supports and drives usage of FMC services
• Examining numbering challenges that may arise from the implementation of an FMC strategy and how these can be resolved
• How can existing separated mechanisms for fixed number portability and mobile number portability be modified to cope with FMC?

• Examining the Incumbent’s Reference Interconnection Offer and its importance in the regulatory environment
• Dispute settlement procedures and interconnection agreements: Examining the need for regulatory intervention
• The role of the fixed interconnection charging in the liberalization of long distance telephony services.
  • outlining in zone and out zone charging models in Turkey
• The margin for new entrants: Exploring the state of competition in voice services

• Defining a NGN network and the relevant aspects from a regulatory perspective
• Assessing the impact of next generation networks and the evolution of business models in a NGN world
• Is Net neutrality a real issue?
• Tomorrow's regulation in a NGN world: a focus on access, migration towards new networks and regulations of bundles

• Redefining the "Wholesale" opportunity - the decline in the unit prices of minute termination and transport infrastructure should be driving "Wholesale" units and operators to redefine their future, what are the options?
• What opportunities do "convergence" and the introduction of next generation networks bring to the "Wholesale" marketplace and how can they be exploited?
• Can an old dog learn new tricks? What are the challenges facing "Wholesalers" seeking to exploit the converging world?
• Are Wholesale revenues in terminal decline? How will new services be priced and can Wholesalers avoid being marginalised by an "all you can eat for free" model?

In an increasingly competitive environment differentiation and diversification are key to maintaining and winning business in the wholesale and interconnection market. How can operators achieve this diversification and what else can wholesale departments offer other than traditional bandwidth and minutes? This panel discussion will allow you to join the debate on the future of the wholesale market.

• Can all the services that a telecoms operator offers be segmented and sold as a wholesale service?
• How should operators position themselves to gain strategic advantage over their competitors?
• Who will the dominant players be in the wholesale market in 5 years time?

• Examining the ways in which new technologies are shaping the wholesale business case
• How are MVNOs defining the wholesale market and how should carriers respond to the pressure?
• Exploring the new "hubbing" paradigm within Interworking and Roaming
• Outlining the steps for the Carrier to become a “wholesale solutions enabler”

• Outlining the general challenges faced by operators in emerging markets
  • access to capital, quality and availability of infrastructure, skills deficit
• Exploring Common Gateways Practices
  • what are the most common practices? How can convergence help to more effectively utilise capacity?
• The business case for 3rd party clearing houses
  • what have historically been the problems with Voice Interconnect Agreements (and the honouring of them).What are opportunities in this field?
• Effects of the regulator in different emerging markets
  • case study from the Economic Community of West African States

The growth of MVNOs has had a major impact in many areas of the telecoms industry, none more so than in the area of wholesale.With the increasing market presence of MVNOs, operator wholesale strategies must strike a balance between protecting their own subscriber base and winning valuable wholesale business. This panel discussion will allow you to join the debate on the growth of MVNOs and its impact on the wholesale market.

• How should operators react to the growth in the market significance, and hence negotiating power, of MVNOs?
• What are the best strategies for negotiating and pricing interconnect agreements with MVNOs?
• Will ‘next-generation’ MVNOs have a strong impact on interconnect pricing and wholesale strategies?

• Outlining the new roaming regulation formulated by the European Commission
• What are the costs of the regulation of roaming charges?
• Comparing the impacts of the regulation on different operators
• How will the regulation affect competition and customers?
• Are there alternative solutions to bring down roaming charges?

• Assessing the extent of the threat from wholesale fraud and what the potential impact on operator revenues could be
• Understanding how fraud acts as a potential loss, as well as a cost, to operators
• Wholesale fraud : examining the new direction of fraud from retail to wholesale threats
• Detecting fraud within operator networks and effectively monitoring potential threats:
  • refiling
  • 8XX calls
  • arbitrage
  • credit risk
  • bypass
• Coping with interconnection with a variety of operators across a number of taxation and rating combinations
• Forestalling potential fraud at the agreement negotiation stage
• Protecting third party content from piracy and fraud through robust fraud strategies

• How can operators minimise revenue leakage while reducing the cost of running an interconnect administration team?
• Exploring the need for flexibility within interconnect agreements to allow for successful management of the agreement
• Safeguarding revenue through the efficient management of settlement cycles between operators
• Adapting existing interconnect administration to meet the increased complexities of NGN interconnection