MATTHEW PEACH ANGACOM PREVIEW
ANGACOM EXPANSION Reflects Intersection of Broadband, Media and TV
This year’s Angacom expo o ers attendees more to see and much more to hear in its expanded conference programme. Matthew Peach reports
INTERVIEW Optical Connections interviewed Jenny Friedsam, Angacom’s director of conference, marketing and public relations.
OC: What are the objectives of Angacom?
T his year’s edition of Angacom, the annual expo for the optical, broadband, cable and satellite industry is o ering a new experience to the anticipated 20,000-plus attendees coming to the event in Cologne, Germany. The 2018 conference agenda has been completely restructured from last year and expanded to 34 expert panels. Under the banner ‘Where Broadband Meets Content’ key discussion topics will address the latest developments in the broadband technology and media markets. Almost half of the panels over three days will take place in English, focusing on hot topics such as DOCSIS 3.1, FTTx, Wi-Fi, OTT, HFC networks, cloud-based services, multiscreen, copyright law, big data and TV strategies in the EMEA region. Amongst the highlights of the first conference day is the strategy panel Content: TV versus Streaming New Content, New Cooperation with Oliver Berben (Constantin Film), Manuel Cubero (Vodafone Deutschland), Wolfgang Elsäßer (Telekom Deutschland), Frank
JF: This event has been Europe’s leading business platform for broadband operators and content providers for more than 15 years. In 2017, we attracted 460 exhibitors and 19,000 visitors from 80 countries, which we are expecting to exceed this year. With a 50% share of international visitors Angacom provides a broadband and audiovisual media focused market place for network operators, vendors and content providers all over Europe. JF: We are highlighting two strategic questions which we expect our conferences to address: what is the schedule for the international gigabit roll-out and the implications for product development and therefore sales; and how are network operators to respond to growing competition from over-the- top content o erings? In broadcasting, over-the-top content is audio, video and other media content delivered over the Internet without the involvement of a multiple-system operator controlling or distributing the content. OC: In 2018 what are the hot issues?
Ho mann (RTL Television) and Dr. Christoph Schneider (Amazon Prime Video Germany). The German Broadband & Media Summit will take place on the second day, featuring a range of high-profile communications and broadcast companies discussing the challenges for the media and broadband markets, moderated by noted German TV journalist Claus Strunz. On day three, the Broadband O ce of the German Federation & Association of Telecommunications & Value- Added Service Providers is organising a ‘Broadband Day - Gigabit Now!’ conference. Andreas Pinkwart, minister for economics, innovation, digitalisation and energy of the State of North Rhine- Westphalia, will open this special event. Dr. Peter Chariss, managing director of Angacom, comments, “Following the relocation in 2017, this year’s conference agenda is taking o with new topics and even more panels. We have significantly extended the broadband and media topics. On the exhibition side, with
at least 480 companies registered by March, we are heading for further growth on this side once again.”
OC: What are likely benefits for attendees?
JF: Besides the number of companies who are exhibiting, the floor space available has also been increased and all major market players are
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| ISSUE 13 | Q2 2018
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