UK SPF Future Spectrum Policy Summit 2025

Dr Abhaya Sumanasena

Chair of the UK SPF Steering Board, UK SPF and Real Wireless

 

Cristina Data

Director of Spectrum Information and Analysis, Ofcom

Cristina is the Director of Spectrum information and analysis, Spectrum Group at Ofcom and is also a NED of the Energy System Catapult. Cristina currently leads the Spectrum Mobile Data Strategy programme with a particular focus on assessing the implications of growing demand. Prior to working on 5G, Cristina led the development of a new spectrum sharing framework, and launched Ofcom open data policy. In particular Cristina was responsible for the release of the UK Interactive spectrum map and the release of information on spectrum use in open format. Prior to joining Ofcom Cristina held various marketing and strategy roles at Telefonica O2, EE (then Orange), and Ericsson (then Red Bee Media). Cristina holds a Master Degree in Management Engineering from the Politecnico di Torino university in Italy. 

---

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.

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.

---

Professor Robert Stewart

Professor Dept of Electronic and Electrical Eng., University of Strathclyde

Bob has led a number of DCMS 5G Testbed and Trials projects was part of the founding partners team working with Scottish Government to create the Scotland 5G Centre.  In recent years he has been working on solutions for the media and broadcast industry and private 5G SA networks working alongside a number of international broadcasters.  Over a 30 year Bob has published 4 books and more than 200 papers. Bob is also a director of the University startup company Neutral Wireless Ltd

---

Mr Tony Lavender

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

---

Kumar Singarajah

UK SPF Cluster 4: International Spectrum Issues and Euroma

 

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

---

Manuel Rascado-Marti

Spectrum Policy Consultant , LS telcom

As a Spectrum Policy Consultant at LS telcom, Manuel manages global consulting assignments with a focus on regulatory policy, strategic planning, and radio spectrum management. Having previously served as the secretariat for the UK Spectrum Policy Forum, he is well-versed in intersections of policy, strategy, and innovation, as well as domestic and international spectrum policy activities. With prior roles as an analyst and senior reporter, he possesses a comprehensive and independent perspective of the wireless sector.

Manuel holds a master's in International Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London.

---

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.

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.

---

Theo Spathopoulos

Senior Specialist in Spectrum Standardisation and UK SPF Steering Board Vice Chair, Nokia

Theo is currently a Senior Specialist in the Spectrum Standardisation team at Nokia, leading Nokia’s involvement in various regional and global spectrum regulatory discussions.

Prior to that he was a Frequency Coordination Engineer at Inmarsat and he has also been a Spectrum Technology Analyst at Ofcom, the UK’s telecom regulator. Theo has also authored and co-authored various conference publications around 5G.

Theo holds an Electrical and Computer Engineering degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, an MSc in Mobile and Satellite Communications from the University of Surrey, UK and an MSc in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.

---

Stuart Cooke

Director of Future Spectrum , GSMA

Stuart is Chair of the GSA’s Global Spectrum Team and Director of Future Spectrum at GSMA. 

Stuart has held a variety of roles, including in the UK government's 3G auction team, the Nokia standards & regulatory affairs, 4G pioneer start up Flarion Technologies, Qualcomm business development and wireless energy harvesting start-up Drayson Technologies.

---

Theo Spathopoulos

Senior Specialist in Spectrum Standardisation and UK SPF Steering Board Vice Chair, Nokia

Theo is currently a Senior Specialist in the Spectrum Standardisation team at Nokia, leading Nokia’s involvement in various regional and global spectrum regulatory discussions.

Prior to that he was a Frequency Coordination Engineer at Inmarsat and he has also been a Spectrum Technology Analyst at Ofcom, the UK’s telecom regulator. Theo has also authored and co-authored various conference publications around 5G.

Theo holds an Electrical and Computer Engineering degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, an MSc in Mobile and Satellite Communications from the University of Surrey, UK and an MSc in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.

---

Greg Bensberg

Spectrum Policy Advisor , Everyone TV

No bio provided

---

Alex Buchan

CTO, DTG

Alex Buchan is CTO at the Digital TV Group (DTG), independent RTO and industry collaboration centre for broadcast and digital media. He is the project lead of the 5G ONE4HDD project, a consortium led by DTG which is part of the DSIT Open Network Ecosystems programme, having also led 5G VISTA project as part of UK 5G Trials and Test Beds. He leads technical direction and strategy for DTG with regards to future delivery of TV services as well running several DTG working groups and its spectrum policy work . He is also a Director at SafeShark, a DTG Testing joint venture providing consumer IoT cyber security testing and certification.

---