The four-day information and communication technology event is the most significant annual showcase for vendors and operators in the Asian market.
Organizers will be hoping to top last year's impressive attendance figures, when more than 35,000 visitors had a choice of 1430 company displays, demonstrations, and presentations - the vast majority from firms based in the Asia Pacific region.
The expo is also one of the most important fixtures in the calendars of major global vendors and operators - and Ericsson is no different, with a busy schedule of seminars, demonstrations, one-to-one customer meetings and information sessions, media and analyst activities, as well as the trademark Ericsson Social Event.
Ericsson will share a dedicated 400sqm stand with its mobile handset partner Sony Ericsson.
The contrast within mobile telephony usage in the Southeast Asian countries demonstrates both the challenges and opportunities faced by operators and vendors.
Singapore has almost 100 percent mobile penetration, while in high-growth countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Vietnam, coverage is mostly confined to urban areas. A significant portion of new users are low-spenders in rural areas with an average monthly mobile spend of just 4-6 USD.
But with its huge potential customer base - for example, Bangladesh has a population of 147 million - analysts view the region as one of the most important for telecoms in the coming decade.
But with its huge potential customer base - for example, Bangladesh has a population of 147 million - analysts view the region as one of the most important for telecoms in the coming decade.
Alina Ibrahim, Ericsson's head of communications and marketing in Southeast Asia, says: "We are well prepared and confident that our offerings will attract big interest from operators. Most of our seminars are heavily oversubscribed."
Among the company's anticipated highlights will be the first Asian preview of the joint Ericsson/Sony IPTV demonstration, which harmonizes IPTV based on open standards for IMS and the homes electronics standard DLNA (Digital Living Network Architecture). The demonstration facilitates the sharing of media between traditional home based and mobile devices.
Another key aspect of CommunicAsia 2006 will be the opportunity to highlight Ericsson's market-leading position in 3G.
Singapore and Malaysia have taken the lead with the launch of their commercial 3G services last year, and several 3G licenses were recently awarded in Indonesia and the Philippines, with more to come in the region.
Ibrahim says: "While there is huge market potential in terms of new customers and addressing the low-spending sector, there is also an increase in momentum for 3G in the region. We will be showing operators how we can help them make a success of 3G."
