London, UK, 5 June 2018 – Senior representatives from CityFibre, TalkTalk, Three, Ofcom, Gigaclear and EE are the latest in a host of influential names who will converge in London at the key event for the UK’s broadband ecosystem, Connected Britain 2018.
Held at the Business Design Centre on Tuesday, June 19 and Wednesday, June 20, the fourth annual Connected Britain conference is set to bring together telcos, national and local government, investors and many more to streamline the UK’s broadband strategy.
With more than 25 years of telecom, internet and technology-based experience behind him, Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre, will present his company’s perspective on a panel titled ‘Next Steps: How can we accelerate investment in high-capacity networks across the UK?’ Mesch will be joined by other key industry speakers including Trista Harrison, CEO of TalkTalk, who will discuss TalkTalk’s road to full fibre and take a look at the progress and key developments in the last year.
“We are very pleased to welcome some of the key names in UK connectivity and hear how they are embracing and adapting to the changing connectivity landscape in the UK,” said Rob Chambers, Managing Director at Total Telecom. “The UK broadband industry is at a pivotal point as new technologies like the IoT and 5G emerge and Connected Britain’s line up of speakers will delve into the work that is being done on future networks and the challenges that are still to be addressed.”
Connected Britain’s high-profile roster of influential names also includes Marc Allera, CEO of EE, who will explore EE’s strategy for delivering 5G networking in the UK and whether collaboration is essential for delivering the 5G future. Featuring alongside Allera on the same panel is Dave Dyson, CEO of Three. Dyson has more than 20 years’ experience of working at Three and is responsible for the overall strategic direction and leadership of the Three network. They will be joined by Derek McManus, COO of O2, and Philip Marnick, Group Director, Spectrum, at Ofcom, where they will come together to discuss whether the UK will be ready for the 5G launch in 2020 and investment strategies for building 5G networks.
Other speakers include Sharon White, CEO of Ofcom, who will deliver the first day’s keynote presentation on 5G delivery strategy, and Matthew Hare, CEO of Gigaclear, who is set to take part on a panel to discuss how the UK’s connectivity landscape will be reshaped from 2018 to 2025. Joining Hare on the panel are senior speakers from Hyperoptic, Virgin Media, Analysys Mason and Virgin Media.
A Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) Programme workshop will take place on Day 1 and will give delegates the chance to hear from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and the Crown Commercial Service on the opportunities emerging from the LFFN Programme. In addition, a look at the proposed broadband legislation will take place on Day 2 and will bring together senior speakers from key political parties to discuss the role the Government should play and how legislation can better incentivise investment.
“As well as the conference itself, this year will also see the launch of our inaugural Connected Britain Awards, which will recognise the innovative work done in the industry to drive forward connectivity, transform the digital economy, and enable a smarter future,” added Chambers.
The Connected Britain Awards are spread across eight categories, including The Superfast Award, Fibre Connectivity Awards, The IoT Award and the Digital Skills Award and drew applications from every corner of Britain’s connectivity landscape, from small operators, large multi-national organisations and government bodies.
For more information about Connected Britain, or to register to attend the event, visit: www.totaltele.com/connectedbritain.