Training
Understanding Modern Spectrum Management
The key engineering, legal and policy issues
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Our team
Managing director and lead analyst
Martin Sims
Martin Sims is an industry analyst, trainer and former academic who specialises in communications policy issues. He has first hand experience of the UK broadcasting sector, having worked as a News Editor in independent radio then as a journalist for BBC network news. He set up PolicyTracker in 2004 and has written widely on spectrum management policy issues as well as setting up a wide range of training courses, developing auctions software and running the 2.3 GHz auction in Nigeria. He has an MA in Communications from the University of Westminster and is a co-author of Understanding Spectrum Liberalisation (CRC Press).
Analysts
Catherine Viola
Catherine Viola has over 15 years’ experience in research house and consulting environments, and has written extensively on spectrum, wireless technologies and services, utility smart grids, and software services. Before joining the PolicyTracker team, Catherine worked for Analysys Mason for over ten years, holding senior roles in its Research business. More recently, she developed a smart grids information portal for cleantech start-up Innovation Observatory. Catherine holds a first-class honours degree from King’s College London.
Newsletter editor
Jonathan Watson
Dr Jonathan Watson has worked as a business journalist for a variety of organisations including Screen Digest, Analytica and Euromoney Publications, where he was Editor of Broadcasting Strategy. He has written several business reports including Broadband Internet access in Europe and a study of the global market for video-on-demand, both for Screen Digest. He has a PhD in Modern History.
Journalists
Dugie Standeford
Dugie Standeford is a lawyer-turned-journalist. She specialises in telecom and Internet regulation, privacy and intellectual property issues. In addition to PolicyTracker, she regularly reports for Warren Communications News in Washington, DC, Privacy Laws & Business (UK) and Intellectual Property Watch (Geneva).
Richard Handford
Richard is an experienced telecoms journalist who has written for a variety of publications. He has contributed to The Economist, Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal, as well as working full-time for Financial Times Newsletters, Breakingviews and, most recently, Mobile World Live. In January 2017, Richard moved to Australia and has since become PolicyTracker’s Asia correspondent.
Laura Sear
Laura is the in-house journalist at PolicyTracker, who focuses on spectrum policies in Europe.
She started her journalism career in Belgium contributing to VRT News, Knack, Rektoverso and MO. She moved to London and did a Master degree in International Journalism at City University of London. Then, she worked as a communications assistant at the European Parliament’s DG PRES in Brussels. As a freelance journalist she contributed to Deutsche Welle and the Daily Mail, as well as writing content for Avis and Airbnb.
Richard Haas
Richard is a journalist and analyst at PolicyTracker. He has written for local news outlets and writes on the publishing platform Medium. Richard is bilingual and fluent in English and German. He also maintains the 5G Observatory website, which is funded by the European Commission. He also covers various spectrum policy issues for Policy Tracker’s newsletter. Richard has an undergraduate degree in Media & Communications from Goldsmiths, University of London.
Mirva Villa
Mirva Villa is a journalist and analyst at PolicyTracker. She has previously worked in media research and media monitoring, video journalism and third sector communications. Mirva speaks Finnish, German and Swedish. She has a master’s degree in International Relations from Anglia Ruskin University and a Multimedia Journalism degree from Bournemouth University.