NGN Master Class

Eric Tyson has worked in the telecommunications industry for over 21 years, initially with BT and more recently as a consultant with InterConnect Communications. He has carried out project work throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa working with telecommunications ministries, regulators, operating companies and development agencies. Eric has focused extensively on the development of interconnection and tariff regimes, cost-modelling and regulatory and operator performance matters but also has considerable experience in new services development, business planning and benchmarking. Eric leads the Interconnection Master Class and developed the course programme for the NGN Master Class.

Peter Walker worked with BT for 22 years, notably as Planning Director in BT International and Head of Planning for BT’s London Network before becoming Director (Technology) at Oftel in 1993 where he worked on the implementation of the EU regulatory frameworks of both 1998 and 2003 and personally contributed to the current UK Communications Act 2003. He set the frameworks for implementation of several regulatory change initiatives including Interconnect Standards, Calling Line ID, Number Portability, Carrier Preselection, Local Loop Unbundling and Wholesale Line Rental. He is now an independent consultant specialising in technology, regulation and related public policy issues.

John Holdsworth has been involved in the telecoms sector for 25 years and has extensive experience of NGN Voice systems based on both SIP and H.323 protocols. He has been a member of ETSI TISPAN and an active member of the UK NICC (who defined the first regulated voice interconnect for NGN networks) contributing both security and call prioritisation elements to this work. An expert on Session Border Controllers and associated security issues, John has both a detailed and systems level knowledge of NGN networking including IMS architectures. John is a lead presenter on the NGN Master Class and also presents on IP / NGN at the Interconnection Master Class.

Steve Morgan worked for BT for 32 years as a network field engineer and then in Access Network Planning, most recently as Tactical Planning Manager and Customer Network Design Manager. Steve has continued to advise clients on Network Planning and Local Access Networks since joining InterConnect and has carried out a wide variety of projects involving all aspects of the Local Loop including xDSL provision, network and customer infrastructure planning. At a regulatory level, he has also prepared Reference Unbundling Offers for a number of clients. Steve presents the Local Loop Unbundling session for the Regulatory Master Class, LLU and RIO sessions at the Interconnection Master Class and technical sessions on telecom networks and new NGNs at three of the Master Classes.

David Court has unrivalled experience in the spectrum management environment, at both a national and international level. From 1991 to 1997, David served as Director of the European Radiocommunications Office (ERO) and prior to his time with the ERO, David was Manager of Spectrum and Strategic Affairs at BT where he was responsible for the development of BT’s response to UK radio spectrum strategy concerning UK government initiatives on personal communications and a national spectrum review. Previously he was Deputy Director and Head of Frequency Policy and Regulatory Group, within the Radiocommunications Division of the Department of Trade and Industry. During this period he was responsible for UK national spectrum policy and international and national regulatory matters, including the co-ordination of radio spectrum usage in the UK and Dependencies and with neighbouring countries.

John Morris is an independent consultant with specific expertise in Number Portability, Carrier Selection and Carrier Pre-Selection. He joined BT in 1989, working initially in the Research and Development Centre at Martlesham before joining the project team working to implement Geographical Number Portability in the UK. John oversaw the launch of this product as Product Manager for BT’s Carrier Services, which involved negotiations with the UK regulator and with other carriers. He subsequently fulfilled a similar role as Product Manager for the launch of Carrier Selection, Interim Carrier Pre-Selection and Carrier Pre-Selection as well as Personal Number Portability.