The combination of mobile broadband access, smartphones and internet technology has led to the emergence of a new breed of consumer mobile voice and messaging communication services provided by internet-based companies, often referred to as
over-the-top service providers (OTTs) i.e. Skype, Viber, IMO, Whatsapp, etc. According to industry research, global instant messaging volumes from OTT providers already exceed SMS volumes. Research also shows that voice- over-IP (VoIP) now accounts for over 40% of international voice traffic. London-based research and analytics firm Ovum, predicted the telecommunications industry globally will lose a combined $386 billion between 2012 and 2018, from customers using over-the-top (OTT) voice applications such as the market-leading Skype and Lync, both owned by Microsoft in 2014. With the current surge in the Whatsapp VOIP feature, that prediction is likely to be realized before the end of 2018. Today there are numerous content and application services, and numerous providers
of content and application services. They can be distinguished based on the function that they serve and the substitution effects they create;

The National Communications Authority clarifies that the situation is an emerging trend and needs to be considered carefully by all stakeholders. Join the discussions,

Theme ' The Growth of OTTs and the role of Mobile Operators & Regulators

Date: Friday 27th May, 2016, 9am to 12noon

Venue:  Ghana-India Kofi Annan Center of Excellence in ICT