The development and deployment of 5G networks worldwide is one of the most pressing matters in the telecommunications sector and was due to be a point of emphasis at conferences such as 5G MENA and Telecoms World Middle East. However, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, these and many other telecom conferences were altered in order to become virtual events. For instance, 5G MENA was held as a virtual conference on June 22, while Telecoms World Middle East will be a two-day online session in mid-October. Read on to learn about a few other major telecom events and how they have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

BIG 5G Event

Like many other conferences, the BIG 5G Event will be held virtually rather than as an in-person conference. The three-day event, which was supposed to take place this past May, will now be held from September 22-24. The annual event typically attracts more than 1,800 telecom professionals from around the world and, given the spread of the coronavirus, this would have presented major logistical and safety concerns.

“We are inspired and committed to adapt The BIG 5G Event into a virtual format and with the experience we have at Informa Tech with our digital communities, we are confident we will deliver the same level of high-quality content, learning and networking that our attendees have come to expect every year,” notes a statement on the event’s website.

Among the topics that will be discussed at the three-day conference will be 5G transport, 5G core, AI in the 5G world, virtualization and cloud native networking, and women in telecom. Speakers will include executives from T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, and Rakuten Mobile Network, Inc.

Digital Transformation World Series 2020

Digital Transformation World Series 2020 will be held as a six-week online program beginning the week of October 5. With a focus on a wide range of themes such as cloud native IT, data and analytics, and autonomous networks, the organizers of the Digital Transformation World Series will deliver engaging content over an extended period of time rather than a three-day period in order to better fit the busy schedules of typical conference participants.

Those who register for the virtual conference will have the ability to view pre-recorded video sessions on-demand, engage in intimate roundtable discussions, and participate in live case studies and presentations. Networking is a vital aspect of conferences such as the Digital Transformation World Series, and participants will still be able to do so via interactive workshops and master classes. The event will also include live conference sessions and a leadership summit.

5G World Summit

The 2020 5G World Summit will take place in London from September 1-3. The virtual event will include a variety of workshops and sessions involving 5G, as well as discussions on topics such as the future of IoT, connected vehicles, and the capabilities of AI in telecommunications. In addition to a networking session, the event will feature keynote presentations from industry professionals and panel discussions on topics such as technologies that will transform 5G and telecoms.

Channel Evolution Europe

Channel Evolution Europe will take place from December 1-2 and will be an online-only event. More than 500 managed service providers, vendors, and resellers are expected to attend the virtual conference, where market opportunities, best practices, and next-gen tech will be discussed, among a variety of other topics.

Telecoms World Virtual

A virtual event that is scheduled for October 13-14, Telecoms World Virtual will offer guidance on innovation and strategy for telecommunications professionals. The event will include various roundtables, exhibitions, live panel debates, and presentations. Speakers will include Nikolai Beckers, the chief executive officer of Ooredoo, andAndrew Hanna, chief commercial officer at Omantel, who will speak on the topic “Embracing transformation in today’s society.” Other presentations will include “Decoding the 5G Era” and “Pushing an interconnected and intelligent world at an unimaginable speed.”

Looking Ahead toward 2021

The 17th annual Customer Experience Management in Telecoms Global is scheduled for January 19-21 in London, United Kingdom, and hasn’t been rescheduled as of yet due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on opportunities for revenue growth via customer service and insights, the three-day event is expected to attract some of the world’s most prominent CX Telecoms professionals. The 2021 event will highlight areas such as IoT innovation, advancements in machine-learning, and the 5G rollout. Past keynote speakers include Volia Chief Customer Officer Michael Dmitrichenko and Ooredoo Algerie Chief Strategy Officer Yves Dubuisson.