The IEC would like to extend a special note of appreciation to the following leading corporations for their generous support and guidance in the 21st Century Communications World Forum 2005.

BT Group plc is the listed holding company for the BT Group of companies, while British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly owned subsidiary. BT is one of the world's leading providers of telecommunications services and one of the largest private-sector companies in Europe. Its principal activities include local, long-distance, and international telecommunications services, Internet and broadband services, and IT solutions.

Siemens Communications is one of the largest players in the global telecommunications industry. Siemens is the only provider in the market that offers its customers a full-range portfolio, from devices for end users to complex network infrastructures for enterprises and carriers as well as related services. Siemens Communications is the world's innovation leader in convergent technologies, products and services for wireless, fixed and enterprise networks. It is the largest Group within Siemens and operates in more than 160 countries around the world. In fiscal 2004 (year-end September 30), its 60,000-strong workforce posted sales of approximately 18 billion euros.More about Siemens Communications at: http://www.siemens.com/communications.

Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world. We provide total solutions - from fixed and mobile systems to applications, services and core technology for mobile handsets. With Sony Ericsson we are also a top supplier of complete mobile multi-media products.

Incorporated in 1988 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Huawei Technologies specializes in the R&D, production and marketing of telecoms equipment, providing customized network solutions in fixed, mobile, optical and data communications networks. Huawei is now a key player in China's telecom market and is quickly becoming an active participant in the global telecom market. Huawei focuses on such areas as WCDMA, CDMA2000, NGN, xDSL and data communications. Currently Huawei has 22,000 employees and sales in 2003 reached 3.83 billion US dollars.

Marconi Corporation plc is a global telecommunications equipment, services, and solutions company. The company's core business is the provision of innovative and reliable optical networks, broadband routing and switching, and broadband access technologies and services. The company's customer base includes many of the world's largest telecommunications operators. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol MONI and on NASDAQ under the ticker MRCIY. Additional information about Marconi Corporation can be found at www.marconi.com.

ECI Telecom is one of the world's leading providers of telecommunications networking solutions. With is leading-edge access, transport, and bandwidth-management platforms, ECI enables leading service providers and carriers worldwide to maximize the value of their networks and reduce operating expenses while providing voice, data, video, and multimedia services to their customers. ECI's solutions are an integral part of more than 500 service-provider networks in more than 140 countries.

Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe is a major supplier of Broadband Access equipment in Europe, acting as Fujitsu's worldwide design location for access network solutions and a centre of excellence for DSL technology. The company is focused on supporting corporate services convergence, across integrated computing and telecommunications platforms. The Fujitsu Group is a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the global marketplace, ranking No 3 in the global IT services field and No 1 in Japan.

Cisco Systems, Inc. is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Today, networks are an essential part of business, education, government, and home communications, and Cisco Internet protocol-based (IP) networking solutions are the foundation of these networks. Cisco hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create Internet solutions that allow individuals, companies, and countries to increase productivity, improve customer satisfaction, and strengthen competitive advantage.

Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe is a major supplier of Broadband Access equipment in Europe, acting as Fujitsu's worldwide design location for access network solutions and a centre of excellence for DSL technology. The company is focused on supporting corporate services convergence, across integrated computing and telecommunications platforms. The Fujitsu Group is a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the global marketplace, ranking No 3 in the global IT services field and No 1 in Japan.

ECI Telecom is one of the world's leading providers of telecommunications networking solutions. With is leading-edge access, transport, and bandwidth-management platforms, ECI enables leading service providers and carriers worldwide to maximize the value of their networks and reduce operating expenses while providing voice, data, video, and multimedia services to their customers. ECI's solutions are an integral part of more than 500 service-provider networks in more than 140 countries.

Tellabs delivers technology that transforms the way the world communicates™. Tellabs experts design, develop, deploy and support our solutions for telecom service providers in more than 100 countries. More than two-thirds of telephone calls and Internet sessions in several countries, including the United States, flow through Tellabs equipment. Our product portfolio provides solutions in next-generation optical networking, managed access, carrier-class data, voice quality enhancement and cable telephony. For details, see www.tellabs.com.

Vesbridge Partners thrives on helping early-stage, leading-edge technology companies bring their software and service solutions to enterprise and carrier markets. Vesbridge Partners has a long history as part of St. Paul Venture Capital (SPVC), a well established early-stage venture capital firm with a strong track record over the past 15 years of financing some of the industry's most successful technology companies.

Established in 1968, the IIC is an international, independent, non-governmental and interdisciplinary network of senior policy makers, regulators, scholars, technologists, industrialists, and content providers embracing broadcasting, telecommunications, and new media in some 70 countries. The goal of the IIC is to provide a global framework for dialogue and to promote access to communications for all people of the world.