Governments of emerging digital economies meet at Mobile World Congress for high-level ministerial summit on the roadmap for mobile broadband

Alcatel-Lucent hosts information, telecommunications and technology ministers from Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East to debate future framework and infrastructure requirements

Barcelona, February 28, 2012 – With many emerging markets preparing for the transition from voice to data-driven mobile telecommunications, Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) will today host a high-level summit meeting of ICT ministers from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia to debate the essential ‘rules of the road’ for adopting next-generation mobile technologies.

Governments play an essential role in the adoption of mobile broadband, recognizing the societal, economic and competitive benefits of implementing robust and effective regulatory frameworks to allow the development of infrastructure, networks and the commercial marketplace in their countries.

Within this context, the roundtable event – Reinventing The Rules For Mobile Internet, hosted by Alcatel-Lucent at Mobile World Congress – will see ministers and regulators from Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Kenya, Nigeria and Lebanon sharing their perspectives on the evolution of the digital economy in their respective countries.

The debate will also encompass the essential regulatory needs for mobile telecommunications in the adoption of next-generation technologies, including 4G LTE, to foster digital inclusion and the development of applications to enhance education, youth employment and social engagement amongst local communities and across large geographies.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Ben Verwaayen, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent said: “The migration from voice to data and video puts consumers in greater control of their own content than at any time in human history. At the same time, mobile broadband will bring tremendous societal advantages to countries where fixed-line access has been limited or even impossible to implement. This debate represents a key platform for the panellists to address the opportunities of mobile broadband, and to flesh out their needs and regulatory challenges.”

Panelists of the session Reinventing the Rules for Mobile Internet are:

• Bitange Ndemo – Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information & Communications, Kenya
• Omobola Johnson – Minister of Information & Communication Technology, Nigeria
• Nicolas Sehnaoui – Minister of Telecommunications, Lebanon
• Mony De Swaan Addati – President of the Federal Commission of Telecommunications, Mexico
• Diego Molano Vega – Minister for Communications & Information Technology, Colombia
• Maximiliano Salvadori Martinhao – Secretary of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Brazil

The debate will be moderated by Bruno Lanvin, Broadband Commissioner and Director of INSEAD’s e-Lab, and will be hosted by Gabrielle Gauthey, Executive Vice-President and Head of Global Public Affairs at Alcatel-Lucent.

The panel session Reinventing The Rules For Mobile Internet will take place on the Alcatel-Lucent stand at Mobile World Congress, and is invitation-only. Members of the media wishing to attend should contact Alcatel-Lucent’s press team, details below.

About Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU)

The long-trusted partner of service providers, enterprises and governments around the world, Alcatel-Lucent is a leading innovator in the field of networking and communications technology, products and services. The company is home to Bell Labs, one of the world’s foremost R&D organizations, responsible for breakthroughs that have shaped the networking and communications industry. Alcatel-Lucent is committed to making communications more sustainable, more affordable and more accessible as we pursue our mission – Realizing the Potential of a Connected World.

With operations in more than 130 countries and one of the most experienced global services organizations in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The Company achieved revenues of Euro 15.3 billion in 2011 and is incorporated in France and headquartered in Paris.

For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com, read the latest posts on the Alcatel-Lucent blog http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/blog and follow the Company on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Alcatel_Lucent.

Contact the Alcatel-Lucent Press Office:    press@alcatel-lucent.com