Communications chiefs to meet in Dundalk

Chief executives from 10 major multi-national communications companies will have a summit next week in Dundalk with telecommunications ministers from throughout the EU and the accession states.

The CEO Roundtable summit takes place during an all-day EU Broadband Conference in Dundalk Institute of Technology next Thursday, to be hosted by Minister Dermot Ahern.

The CEO Summit will allow Ministers and their policy making teams and the private sector to map out the future for broadband and converging technologies.

One key issue will be drawing up a blueprint to tackle unsolicited e-mails and the group is expected to press for legislative initiatives and greater co-operation between Europe and the US in tackling spam.

Among the executives attending are: Philip Rowley, President of AOL Europe, Cesar Alierta, CEO of Telefonica; Martina King, Managing Director Country Operations of Yahoo; Serge Tchuruk, Chairman of Alcatel.

The executives are expected to press EU Ministers and EU Communications Commissioner Errki Likaanen to continue to build awareness of the importance and the uptake of broadband across Europe so that the expanded EU can compete with economies in South East Asia and the US.

The EU Broadband Conference takes place at Dundalk Institute of Technology. The conference will also consider future trends and strategies for Broadband throughout the EU.

The event will also be an opportunity to review the national broadband strategies of Member States - against the backdrop of the Europe 2005 Action Plan.

Minister Ahern said: "The fact that such leading executives from the top European telcos are coming to Ireland and Dundalk will provide us with a platform also to show off what we have to offer. These companies employ hundreds of thousands of people across Europe."