During this free to join event delegates will hear from the UK SPF Chairperson, updates from the Steering Board and Cluster Chairs alongside from external speakers including Rahim Tafazolli.

Agenda
Welcome - David Meyer, UK SPF Chair
5.5G and 6G for 2030+ - Rahim Tafazolli, Regius Professor of Electronic Engineering, Professor of Mobile and Satellite Communications, Founder and Director of 5GIC, 6GIC and ICS (Institute for Communication System), University of Surrey
Summary of the recent UK SPF Steering Board - Abhaya Sumanasena, Real Wireless and UK SPF Steering Board Chair
Cluster updates
- Saul Friedner, Cluster 1 and LS Telcom
- Stephen Temple, Cluster 2 and University of Surrey 5G IC
- Tony Lavender, Cluster 3 and Plum Consulting
- Kumar Singarajah, Cluster 4 and Euroma Ltd
Summary and close - David Meyer, UK SPF Chair
All UK SPF events are held under Chatham House Rule unless otherwise stated.
By registering you consent with your name, job title and organisation being included on the delegate list.
Joining instructions will be sent closer to the time and we do not plan on sharing a recording.
Questions? Contact Jo

Jo O'Riordan
Head of Spectrum Policy and Telecoms, techUK
Jo leads the work of the UK SPF, the sounding board to government and Ofcom on medium to long-term spectrum issues in the UK and supports the delivery of the Communication Infrastructure Programme.
Prior to her appointment in 2018 Jo held positions at Islington Council, the Industry and Parliament Trust, Inside Government, and most recently at Smart Energy GB in policy and public affairs role. Here Jo predominately oversaw the organisations engagement with MPs and local government alongside external speaking opportunities.
Outside of work Jo likes spending as much time as possible with her dog Fudge, as well as cooking, watching live comedy, and running (but not that far or that fast).
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 020 7331 2191
- Twitter:
- @JTORiordan
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jooriordan/
Speakers
Chair of Cluster 1: Spectrum Demand,UK SPF and LS Telcom
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
Partner,Plum Consulting
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
Chairman of the UK SPF,UK SPF
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
UK SPF Cluster 4: International Spectrum Issues and Euroma
Chair of the UK SPF Steering Board,UK SPF and Real Wireless
Director of 5GIC, 6GIC and ICS,University of Surrey
Website: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/people/rahim-tafazolli-freng
Chair of UK SPF Cluster 2: Spectrum Access and Supply,
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.