1st February 2006, London, UK

Developing Telecoms (www.developingtelecoms.com), is attracting unprecedented levels of interest from ICT specialists in developing countries. Launched in November 2005 at WSIS (the World Summit for the Information Society) in Tunis, Developing Telecoms is a web site providing high quality news and information free of charge for communications specialists in the developing world.

Developing Telecoms is the first commercially funded on-line resource dedicated to ICTs in emerging markets. Its launch and the subsequent rapid growth of visitor traffic reflects the need for high quality information in this previously under served area. It also demonstrates the rapid changes taking place in the communications market. During the next 10 years, developing countries are expected to be the largest growth area for all communications sectors, with over 1 billion new service connections. More than 85% of these connections will be wireless, involving exciting new technologies such as WiMAX, broadband wireless and VoIP.

As of February 2006 Developing Telecoms was receiving over 2000 unique visitors (hits) each week. It is now featured on many non-commercial sites and is the top search item for the topic on Yahoo and MSN and within the top 5 at Google. Visitors to the site have been recorded from over 120 separate global domains.

Free of charge access is essential if communications specialists in developing countries are to use the web site regularly. The established business model in the information provision field is paid subscription access, usually linked to a print magazine. Developing Telecoms breaks this pattern, aiming to generate income through sponsorship and advertising from service and finance providers, equipment vendors and other organisations with a strong interest in developing telecoms in developing countries. The site offers a range of marketing opportunities including an email newsletter distributed to over 10,000 communications specialists in developing countries world-wide.

ENDS

About Developing Telecoms

Developing TELECOMS founders, Alec Barton and Michael Schwartz bring a unique knowledge and experience to the project. Gained from over 20 years in telecoms publishing with respected industry titles Asian Communications, Asia-Pacific Satellite, APT Journal, Middle East Communications and numerous communications yearbooks and directories, they share a passionate belief in the importance of improving ICTs in developing countries. They believe that educating and informing communications specialists in the developing world is a vital part of the process of achieving sustainable, long term development.

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