We are proud to announce the inaugural TechCentral Debate Series event — and you are invited to attend at no cost to you.

The Debate Series, the brainchild of TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod, is intended as a quarterly, high-level event at which industry leaders in SA’s information and communications technology industry are invited to participate in a 60- to 90-minute panel discussion on the big issues of the day.

The series, which is sponsored exclusively by Internet Solutions, the converged communications service provider, will feature a panel discussion, chaired and moderated by McLeod. There is space in the audience for up to 120 guests, but seats will be snapped up quickly, so if you’d like to attend, you’ll need to RSVP soon.

The first Debate Series event will focus on broadband in SA and what the future holds. Key issues that will be discussed include local-loop unbundling, uncapped broadband, terrestrial and submarine fibre projects, and the future of ADSL and wireless alternatives. Audience Q&A is also encouraged and welcomed.

Panellists who have agreed to participate in the first event include Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) chairman Paris Mashile, Internet Solutions MD Derek Wilcocks, Neotel CEO Ajay Pandey and Afrihost CEO Gian Visser. A senior-level representative from Telkom is also expected to attend.

The inaugural TechCentral Debate Series event will take place on Tuesday, 11 May 2010 at 3pm, at First National Bank’s Conference Centre at 114 Grayston Drive in Sandton (next to the Grayston Southern Sun Hotel). First National Bank has kindly sponsored the facilities for the event.

To RSVP, e-mail Simone Lipshitz at Headlines, and provide your name, company and contact details. Attendance is free of charge and drinks will be served after the event for those who wish to network.

We hope to see you there.