Calling Telecom operators

Telecom operators are looking for new ways of financing infrastructure investment and acquisitions as they look to capture growth in increasingly competitive Asian markets, say industry and finance leaders.

The latest methods and wider strategic implications will be assessed at the TMT Finance & Investment Asia conference in Hong Kong at the Intercontinental Grand Stanford on November 1 (www.tmtfinance.com/asia).

“As operators continue to invest in their infrastructure they have a continued requirement for additional capital,” commented Ranesh Verma, Managing Director and Head of Structured Finance TMT Asia, ING who will be speaking on the financing panel.

“Against the background of continued market volatility, operators and vendors are increasingly exploring ways to expand and diversify their sources of funding; finance partners need to be increasingly innovative in the solutions they offer industry participants.”

The latest developments in risk management and acquisition strategy will also be highlighted on the M&A Panel at the conference which features heads of telecoms, media and technology from Credit Suisse, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Standard Chartered, Herbert Smith and the World Bank.

"A high cash-generating sector like telecoms is an attractive revenue stream for Governments - both through licensing agreements and taxation,” said Hal G. Bosher, Sr. Underwriter, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency at The World Bank Group. “In the current economic uncertainty this raises the likelihood of disputes as Governments seek to offset lower tax receipts in other areas of the economy. This risk has only been heightened as telecoms is increasingly seen as a utility that should be regulated and managed by the public sector.”

Telecom operators are also currently raising finance and increasing operational efficiency by outsourcing mobile towers infrastructure assets, and the latest business models, operators and deal structures will be assessed in the CFO Round Table and Infrastructure Investment Panels. Speakers include CEOs, CFOs and regional heads from Etisalat, Vimpelcom , Viom Networks, Quippo, American Tower, Citigroup, Apax, Bakrie Telecom and Telstra. For full details of programme timings and speakers visit www.tmtfinance.com/asia

The TMT Finance & Investment Asia conference, now in its third year, gathers telecom executives, investment bankers, specialist financiers and advisers from across Asia to assess new investment opportunities and strategies. Supporting partners and sponsors for 2011 include Booz & Company, Allen & Overy, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Herbert Smith, MSL Asia, Moody’s Investors Service, Actel, Invest Hong Kong, Thomson Reuters and the Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association.

Register to attend at www.tmtfinance.com/asia/register