Communications Infrastructure and Services Council

The Communications, Infrastructure and Services Council (CISC) brings together techUK member companies with a shared interest in fixed, wireless, and non-terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure. With participants from across the telecoms value chain—including operators/ISPs, network service providers, manufacturers, technology companies, and software suppliers—the Council serves as the united industry voice on market development and on the policy and regulatory issues shaping the sector.

In 2025, the Council’s core mission is to champion telecoms as a key growth enabler for the UK economy.

Digital infrastructure is central to a healthy and dynamic digital ecosystem and is essential to deliver the Government’s core ambitions across sectors such as housing, AI, IoT services, datacentres and smart energy infrastructure.

This work will focus around three strategic priorities:

Barriers to Connectivity and Adoption – Tackling policy and regulatory hurdles that are holding the sector back.
Advanced Communications – Showcasing cutting-edge technologies and real-world use cases that are driving innovation and growth.
Security and Resilience – Ensuring telecoms, as critical national infrastructure, remains robust, secure, and responsive to emerging threats.

The Council’s direction will be driven forward by several working groups within the CIS programme:

All members are encouraged to get involved.

I am delighted to take on the role of Chair of the Communications, Infrastructure and Services Council at techUK. Telecommunications infrastructure is the foundation of our digital economy and a core enabler for growth across the entire nation. I look forward to working with my fellow Council colleagues on various activities that champion this message, help to tackle the connectivity barriers at play and ensure that policymakers truly understand the need for telecoms to be at the heart of all sector growth plans.

Lucie Smith

Chair

We are entering a new era of connectivity—from 5G standalone to future 6G and quantum networks. Advanced communications aren’t just about faster speeds; they underpin new business models, services, and industries. The CIS Council will be pushing to ensure the UK can stay at the forefront of global innovation, championing the right conditions for investment, experimentation, and deployment in next-generation networks. I look forward to supporting this work as vice-chair of the group.

Luigi Ardito

Vice Chair

Telecoms is critical national infrastructure and as we deepen our reliance on digital systems, ensuring network resilience and security has never been more important to maintain economic and societal confidence. The CIS programme wants to further its work here on both existing Government initiatives as well as others in the pipeline. As vice-chair I look forward to working with Council members to expand discussions on supply chain diversity, improve procedures around security compliance and keep on top of evolving threats.

Chris Cheeseman

Vice Chair

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the team.

Elected group

This is an elected group compiled of techUK members. To find out more about the election process and timetable, please contact the group managers below.