Leadership

The leadership includes a Chairperson of the wider UK SPF, the Steering Board Chair, the Steering Board Vice Chair and the Cluster Chairs.

Chairman 

David Meyer MA

Chairman, Digital Mobile Spectrum Ltd

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.

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Steering Board - Chair 

Dr. Abhaya Sumanasena

Managing Consultant, Real Wireless

Abhaya is a leader with a strategic approach and hands on experience in solving problems on spectrum, technology and techno-economic issues. His wealth of knowledge gathered over 20 years has helped a wide range of international companies, regulators and governments. Abhaya currently champions the spectrum and regulatory practice at Real Wireless and is the Chairman of the UK Spectrum Policy Forum (UK SPF) Steering Board. He has recently led teams in delivering spectrum valuation for auctions, techno-economic and business case analysis for 5G use cases, 5G spectrum benefit assessment and developing future telecom strategy for MNOs, regulators, and governments.

Previously Abhaya led and delivered multi-million pound strategic network capacity programs at 3UK. He has also played an influential role in maintaining UK propositions and developing policies on mobile spectrum at Ofcom and, as the Head of Capacity and Principal Engineer at Ericsson, provided leadership to deploy the UK’s first HSDPA network.

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Steering Board - Vice Chair 

Luigi Ardito

Senior Director of Government Affairs EMEA, Qualcomm

Luigi Ardito is currently working as a Senior Director of Government Affairs EMEA at Qualcomm. He is leading Qualcomm spectrum and regulatory policy agenda in Europe dealing with various government entities and industry organizations.

He is also the Chairman of Digital Europe Spectrum Group and member of the GSA Spectrum management team.

Prior to joining Qualcomm, Luigi worked at Sony Corporation both in Japan and in the UK for over a decade. He has additionally gained a professional experience at France Telecom and at the Italian Public Broadcaster RAI. Luigi has extensive experience in the Media and Telecom industry as well as the Semiconductor Industry gained through his assignments at Qualcomm, Sony, France Telecom and RAI.

Interesting Fact:

He holds an Electronic Engineering Degree from the Politecnico di Torino in Italy, an MBA of Marketing and Finance from the Henley Management College in the UK and a Diploma in Communications and Media Regulations at the European University Institute – Robert Schuman Centre

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Cluster 1: Future Spectrum Demand 

Saul Friedner

Associate Director of Spectrum Services, LS telcom UK

Chair of Cluster 1 is Saul Friedner who is 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/en/home

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Cluster 2: Spectrum Access and Sharing 

Stephen Temple

visiting Professor on 5G IC and Technical Secretary of Strategy Advisory, Surrey University

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.

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Cluster 3: Spectrum Value and Efficiency 

Tony Lavender

Partner, Plum Consulting

Tony 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

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Cluster 4: International Spectrum Issues

Kumar Singarajah

Director of Government & Regulatory Affairs, Astroscale

Kumar has worked for over 25 years in international and national spectrum management on behalf of several European governments, European space/satellite operators (including SES, Inmarsat/ICO, Avanti and Viasat) and non-UK terrestrial wireless operators in a range of senior engineering roles, senior management positions and advisory roles on comms systems engineering, regulatory / spectrum and business development matters. He has extensive experience of UK, CEPT, ITU (including ITU-WRC) spectrum management activities. Kumar has a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, a MSc in Mobile Communications and Satellite Communications from the University of Surrey and a MBA from the Open University.

He is a Member of the IET & IEEE and a Fellow of the CMI. He is currently a Director of Euroma Ltd and also Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs (UK / Europe) at Astroscale UK Ltd. 

 

 

 

 

 

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