The Telecommunication industry in Africa has experienced explosive growth over the last decade and is unquestionably amongst the most exciting regions for Telco solution providers right now.

However, communication throughout the continent cannot be solved quickly and will not be driven by one company alone. In order for the Telecom market to rise, competition, and most importantly collaboration between service providers and operators needs to be addressed and the creation of a stable environment for foreign investment is key.

The Next Generation Telecom Summit taking place in Nairobi at the beginning of October is aiming to provide such an environment. The NGT Summit will focus on how to improve communications and will become the main platform for international telecom visionaries to discuss innovation in the industry and lead Africa through the global economic crisis.

Confirmed attendees include Christopher Anthony Gabriel, CEO Africa, Zain Africa; Alieu Conteh, Chairman of Vodacom Congo; Hans Paulsen, CCO, Uganda Telecom; Mickael Ghossein, CEO, Telkom Kenya; Sameer Dave, Group Executive & CEO, Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation; and Diego Gutierrez, COO Ghana, Millicom International Cellular. Other Telecom leaders from Cell One, Orange Botswana, Virgin Mobile SA and MTN SA are amongst the other 50 visionaries attending.

Major reformation of the Telecom industry is vital for the continent as a whole to move forward. If the leaders of this sector can collaborate effectively and the outcomes bring about new innovations and improved communications, the world could soon see Africa's business profile escalate within the next year. The potential is high - but is the industry up to the challenge laid out before them?