The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications will host a major meeting of the Quality of Service Development Group (QSDG) of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) from September 16th – 20th 2013. The QSDG develops standards to improve the quality of the telecoms services globally through wide participation by ICT stakeholders, including policy-makers, regulators, operators, academics and equipment manufacturers and vendors. ITU is the UN’s telecoms agency. “There’s an effort at the ITU global level to encourage open dialogue; for everyone, including especially network operators, to have an active say in the development of telecoms standards. Our involvement is a reflection of that approach in Africa,” said Kwaku Sakyi-Addo, the Chamber’s CEO. “It affirms Ghana’s commitment to multi-stakeholder engagement in setting ICT agenda.” More than 60 participants from Africa and elsewhere are expected to local delegates at the five-day event, which is being held in collaboration with the Southern Africa Telecommunications Association (SATA) and the National Communications Authority (NCA), Ghana’s industry regulator. The QSDG Meeting has been in operation since 1984 and has conducted several quality of service (QoS) activities in 29 countries, contributing ITU-T recommendations that are considered for adoption by member-countries. Yvonne Umutoni, QSDG Chairman, said: “the meeting of this study group will contribute a lot in developing recommendations on QoS matters. The topics for discussion during this event will be important and timely to current trends in the ICT sector.” The theme of this meeting is: Ensure Customer Satisfaction by providing Quality of Service & Quality of Experience in traditional and new converged ICT networks & services”. The ITU, with a membership of 193 countries, has responsibility for the regulation, standardization, co-ordination and development of international telecommunications. Other sponsors supporting the meeting are ASCOM, Global Voice Group and Helios Towers. Five mobile network operators in Ghana launched the Chamber of Telecommunications in 2011 as a private initiative to help shape policy in one of Africa’s most active and fastest growing telecoms markets. Operators have invested over US$5.6 billion in the West African country over the last decade and half, created over 1.5 million jobs and are responsible for 10 per cent of all government revenues. Ghana, the world’s second leading cocoa producer after neighboring Ivory Coast, and a new crude oil producer, has a population of 25 million people. Mobile voice subscriptions are estimated at over 100 per cent; however, internet penetration is at least two thirds lower.