CITI Symposium:
Investing in Infrastructure: Increasing Internet Access in the Developing World

Date: Friday May 14, 2004,
Time: 10 am to 4:45 pm (registration from 9:30 am)
Location: Columbia University, Uris Hall, room 303
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Agenda

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In the developing world, there are now more cellular phones than fixed lines, but access to the Internet is still very limited. Where access is available, the price is often beyond the means of most potential users, and bandwidth is extremely limited. This is the real digital divide. The purpose of this symposium is to explore solutions to these problems, drawing on the expertise of investors, analysts, service providers, and development organizations, to identify practical strategies to make reliable and affordable Internet access a reality throughout the developing world.

The symposium will include:

• background on the status of Internet access and broadband in developing regions;
• analysis of developing country markets and investment strategies;
• lessons learned from the explosive growth of mobile wireless in these regions
• innovative regulatory and policy initiatives;
• Case studies on innovative private sector strategies to provide ICT services in rural and developing regions.

SPEAKERS will include investors and analysts of developing country markets, regulatory and policy experts, and entrepreneurs from rural telecommunications initiatives in the US whose experience is relevant for developing regions. They include:

Eric Nelson, author of the ITU's recent study on "Investing in Telecommunications and ICTs in Developing Markets"
Ken Zita, Network Dynamics Associates
John Ryan, RHK
Ed Malloy, USAID
Michel Guite, Vermontel
John Raffeto, IT Strategies
Dan Sieben, E-Bridge International

Additional speakers will include representatives from the International Finance Corporation (member of the World Bank Group), Pyramid Research, and MIT.

REGISTRATON INFORMATION:
The basic registration fee including lunch and reception is $50. Non-profits, NGOs, and academics may attend for $25. To register online, please visit http://www.ersvp.com/reply/event11284. CITI affiliates should contact Ben Bloom at 212-854-4222 to inquire about special registration arrangements.

http://www.ersvp.com/reply/event11284 For More  information, visit us on the World Wide Web at www.citi.columbia.edu or call 212-854-4222.