5.29.2007 - 09:51am ET

(CSRwire) May 29, 2007- Telecommunications technology will in the coming years have a profound impact on many societies in Africa, contributing largely to the economic growth and wealth of millions of people on the continent.

This development, and issues related to the regulatory environment supporting the foreseen growth, will be the major themes of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation's (CTO) European-African Telecommunications Roundtable in Helsinki and Bonn, a meeting that will bring together leading decision makers from Africa, Europe and the telecoms industry.

Espoo, Finland - The CTO meeting will assemble high-level telecommunications officials from the organisation's African member countries, with participants representing communications ministries and regulators from Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. Officials from Finnish and German government and industry will also take part.

The roundtable is built around themes including the telecommunications ecosystem: the socio-economic impact of information and communication technology (ICT) and telecommunications, case studies from countries including Finland, and how similar development can be encouraged in New Growth Markets; and Europe-Africa cooperation, including European ICT initiatives in Africa and project financing.

Nokia Siemens Networks and Nokia are playing a key role in the meeting, contributing speakers and engaging in the dialogue that aims to increase understanding between the two continents, initiate concrete projects and lay the foundation for future discussions.

"While people around the world share the universal desire to connect with others, Nokia has dedicated itself to develop an unparalleled insight into the specific needs and aspirations of individuals in emerging markets. Less than a month ago, Nokia launched seven new phones based on this in-depth understanding, which are not only designed to be accessible to these consumers, but to also help spark development within the communities that they live and work," said Veli Sundback, executive vice president of corporate relations and responsibility for Nokia.

"By 2015 we expect five billion people will be connected by wire and wirelessly from one end of the planet to the other, and the clear majority of these people will come from new growth markets in Asia and Africa. We are committed to connecting the world, and this event is an excellent opportunity to engage key stakeholders to help make this vision a reality," said Lauri Kivinen, head of corporate affairs, Nokia Siemens Networks.

The CTO European/African Telecommunications Roundtable will run from May 28-31 in Helsinki, and then continues until June 1 in Bonn.

About Nokia

Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. Nokia makes a wide range of mobile devices and provides people with experiences in music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games and business mobility through these devices. Nokia also provides equipment, solutions and services for communications networks.

About Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of communications services. The company provides a complete, well-balanced product portfolio of mobile and fixed network infrastructure solutions and addresses the growing demand for services with 20,000 service professionals worldwide. The combined pro-forma net sales of €17.1 billion in fiscal year 2006 make Nokia Siemens Networks one of the largest telecommunications infrastructure companies. Nokia Siemens Networks has operations in some 150 countries and is headquartered in Espoo, Finland. It combines Nokia's Networks Business Group and the carrier related businesses of Siemens Communications.
www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

About the CTO

The work of the CTO goes back to its creation in 1901. It is an international development partnership between Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth governments, business and civil society organisations. It provides the international community with effective means to help bridge the digital divide and achieve social and economic development, by delivering to developing countries unique knowledge-sharing programmes in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the specific areas of telecommunications, IT, broadcasting and the Internet. www.cto.int

For more information please contact: