Simon Saunders

Prof. Simon Saunders is Director of Emerging and Online Technology for Ofcom, the UK’s independent regulator for communications services. He is also a Visiting Professor at King’s College London and Trustee of the charity Music for All. In 2019 he organised the world’s first 5G music lesson on behalf of Music for All, working with King’s College London.

Simon is a specialist in the technology of communications, with a technical and commercial background derived from senior appointments in both industry (including Google, Motorola and Philips) and academia (University of Surrey, Trinity College Dublin).
As Head of Connectivity Partnerships for EMEA at Google (2015-20), he worked with operators globally on enhancing wireless connectivity via a range of advanced technology initiatives, combining wireless networks, artificial intelligence and network virtualisation. As co-founder and Director of Technology for independent wireless strategy advisory firm Real Wireless (2006-15), he was responsible for overall technical capability and direction, providing independent wireless expertise and advice to operators, regulators, technology and law firms and wireless users. He founded the Small Cell Forum (formerly Femto Forum), and chaired this industry association from 2007-12, growing membership to 150 companies and working with 3GPP to create the first standards for small cells.

He is an author of over 150 articles, books and book chapters, including a popular textbook on antennas and propagation. He has acted as a consultant to companies including BAA, BBC, Cisco, O2, Ofcom, BT, ntl, Mitsubishi,Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Inmarsat and British Land. He was CTO of Red-M and CEO of Cellular Design Services Ltd and has acted as an expert witness in legal proceedings in England and the US. Simon speaks and chairs a wide range of international conferences and training courses and has invented over 15 patented wireless technologies. He has served on technical advisory boards of several companies, was Visiting Professor to the University of Surrey, member of the industrial advisory board at University College London, Adjunct Professor at Trinity College Dublin, and a member of the Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board from 2007-14.