Fibre to the Home (FTTH) Council Middle East & North Africa opened its fourth annual conference in Doha yesterday with the theme ‘FTTH, the Future at the Speed of Light.’
Hassan Jassem al-Sayed, assistant secretary general of the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR) and Qatar National Broadband Network (Qnbn) board member, opened the two-day event at Grand Hyatt Doha.
The benefits and the acceleration of the FTTH deployment in the Mena region were debated through specific discussion panels between the keynote speakers, Ebrahim al-Haddad (regional director of ITU Regional Office for the Arab States), Suvi Linden (special envoy, Broadband Commission) and Faris Awartani (chairman, FTTH Council Mena).
“FTTH is key to a sustainable future, ensuring a healthy environment for socioeconomic development,” Awartani said while explaining that it is leading the new generation and the way to innovation and technology.
“Our region is in great need for a future-proof infrastructure in order to answer the requirements of the new emerging perspectives.”
The conference is being attended by speakers, exhibitors and delegates from North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific in addition to the Mena region.
An exhibition being held in parallel to the conference has showcased the latest products and solutions.
Qnbn, the platinum sponsor of the conference, highlighted its new company manifesto that pledged to empower the nation through its high speed fiber optic broadband network.  
Qnbn CEO Mohamed al-Mannai, who launched the new manifesto, said: “Our pledge is to make Qatar one of the best connected countries in the region, if not the world.”
The manifesto was signed by al-Sayed and al-Mannai as well as Qnbn senior management and then other Qnbn staff who were present at the event.
Qnbn will work with government and municipalities to connect educational, health and government bodies, businesses and homes with the very latest fibre optic technology.
Qnbn recently picked up the World Finance Award for Best Innovation, Middle East 2012.  Qnbn was awarded for being one of the first initiatives for an open network funded by the government in the region.