UK SPF Plenary - Our overarching spectrum policy event

Saul is Chair of Cluster 1 is and a Associate Director of spectrum services at LS telcom UK, which is a leading global spectrum management company specialising in spectrum management and consultancy solutions for international regulatory bodies, mobile and broadcast operators and many of the vertical sectors.

Saul joined LS telcom in 2016 to help grow and establish the LS telcom brand within the UK and has been involved in a number of different projects ranging from advice to UK government on 5G infrastructure requirements to a spectrum assignment study for the European Commission. Saul’s background is in spectrum regulation as he started his career at Radiocommunications Agency, now Ofcom, and moved into consulting in 2007 with his first role at Mott MacDonald. He moved to Real Wireless in 2010 and gained additional experience in managing and delivering technical projects in wireless communications technology and spectrum.

Saul holds a bachelors’ degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Hertfordshire, he is a chartered engineer and is a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. 

Website: www.lstelcom.com

---

Website: www.lstelcom.com

Tony Lavender is a Partner of Plum Consulting.

He has extensive experience across a wide range of telecommunication and technology industry issues gained through working as a consultant, for the UK telecommunications regulator Oftel and for a network operator over a period of more than 30 years. Tony is particularly interested in public policy, regulation and the relationship between technology, and the economy. In recent years Tony has focused on radio spectrum issues and much of his client work at Plum has focused on the benefits of innovation in the radio spectrum field.

Website: www.plumconsulting.co.uk

David served in the British Army as a Royal Signals officer from 1978-2010, during which he worked in a variety of roles and units around the world, but with a consistent theme of using, managing and exploiting spectrum from LF to the upper reaches of SHF, for a range of applications. His last army post was as the deputy CIO in MOD in which he was responsible for reform of MOD's spectrum policy following Martin Cave's audit of public sector spectrum holdings in 2005. He drove the policy changes in Whitehall that enabled release of MOD spectrum, including Ofcom's forthcoming auction of former MOD 2.3 and 3.4GHz holdings. Given this background he is particularly keen to pursue opportunities for release (or possibly sharing) of commercially valuable public sector spectrum in future.

On leaving the Army and MOD David joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as Chief Information Officer in 2010. He remained there for three years, leaving on a major reorganisation of the IT function in the FCO. He set up his own company and has worked as a consultant since then, covering cyber and technology issues for public and private sector clients. He has maintained his connection to spectrum issues through membership of Ofcom's Spectrum Advisory Board since 2010. He has chaired the Board for Ofcom since 2011 and his tenure as chairman has just been extended to 2018.

David has worked over the years with many of the companies represented within techUK and its predecessor. He greatly looks forward to engaging with all those involved in the Spectrum Policy Forum, in both private and public sectors.

---

Twitter: @@uk_spf

 

---

Website: https://www.techuk.org/who-we-are/our-partners/uk-spectrum-policy-forum/leadership.html

 

Rahim Tafazolli is Regius Professor of Electronic Engineering, Professor of Mobile and Satellite Communications, Founder and Director of 5GIC, 6GIC and ICS (Institute for Communication System) at the University of Surrey. He has over 30 years of experience in digital communications research and teaching. He has authored and co-authored more than 1000 research publications and is regularly invited to deliver keynote talks and distinguished lectures to international conferences and workshops.

---

Website: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/people/rahim-tafazolli-freng

UK SPF Cluster 2 is chaired by Professor Stephen Temple visiting Professor at the Surrey University 5G IC and Technical Secretary of their Strategy Advisory Board.

He is also on the IET Communications Policy Panel. At an earlier period in his career at the DTI he was one of the co-creators of the GSM mobile revolution that propelled Europe to the forefront of mobile technology and established cellular mobile as a global industry, he brought about the digital terrestrial TV and DAB revolutions in the UK and one of the founders of ETSI. His time at the DTI also included a stint on industrial policy. In the private sector he pioneered ntl’s (now Virgin) broadband Internet, harmonised the digital cable TV platforms of merged cable TV companies and become MD of their networks division.

He was later director of special projects in Vodafone's HQ Corporate Strategy. His background in spectrum goes back to 1971 when he represented the UK at the ITU 1971 Space Conference on establishing the spectrum sharing rules between satellite earth stations and radio relays. At the DTI he led the mobile world into the 1800 MHz band and a quarter of a century later was the inventor of the “5G pioneer band” approach the University of Surrey 5G IC first proposed to 5G PPP WG- Spectrum and later taken into the European 5G Action Plan via the RSPG.