Jolanta Stanke has 14 years experience in telecoms, broadband and technology research. She joined Point Topic as Senior Editor in 2009 and became Research Director in 2015. Jolanta’s main areas of work are research and analysis of broadband market trends, including availability, take-up and pricing both in the UK and globally, as well as recruiting and training an international research network of highly skilled broadband analysts.
Previously, Jolanta worked and led on a number of research projects focusing on entrepreneurship, start ups, high tech sector and public policy while working at Kaunas University of Technology, UCL, Cambridge and Oxford Universities. A Cambridge graduate in Economics and a Fulbright scholar, she has an MBA and PhD in Management Studies
Helen Anderson is a technology, media and telecoms lawyer, with a broad experience advising clients on a variety of commercial technology, data privacy, media, advertising, intellectual property and Gen AI issues. Having spent several years in private practice at Dentons, she is now works at Accenture as the EMEA Legal Lead for Accenture Song.
Alex set up his Brighton based company NetSumo in 2005 and in less than four years the company has become one of the leading and most respected Networking Consultancy firms in the service provider industry. He then went on to become Technical Director of C4L, VP of NSFOCUS, Product Manager at Cludflare, before becoming Director of Product at Cisco ThousandEyes. Alex has been involved with many organisations and is also a member of the LINX Programme Committee.
Former ISPA Chair, James Blessing is currently Head of IT Development at Freedom Fibre. He has over twenty years of experience in internet technologies. Previously he was Deputy Director at Jisc, CTO at Relish, Strategic Relations Manager, EMEA at Limelight Networks, COO at Entanet, technical support manager and technical development manager at Zen Internet; senior project manager at Eunite; senior producer at Kiss102 and Kiss105; and a technical director at Net Nannies.
In 1991 Prof. Rotert was a founding member of the Internet Society. In 1993 Prof. Rotert founded one of the first ISPs in Germany (Xlink). In 2000 he was appointed Senior Vice President for research and development at KPNQwest. Afterwards he was Managing Director of several Service Providers. Prof. Rotert has been President and Vice President of EuroISPA. He is now President of eco, the Association of the German Internet Industry.
Andrew is editor of thinkbroadband.com, the largest independent guide to Broadband in the UK. Providing news on progress of broadband updates across the UK and advice to consumers on solving a wide range of broadband problems and attempting to unravel the complexities of broadband for the mainstream press and consumers alike. Andrew also brings a raft of experience on the relative performance of UK broadband providers via his work on the popular thinkbroadband speed test.
Trenches Law’s founder Sharon McDermott is a senior telecommunications lawyer, having spent 18 years with Virgin Media, mainly as head of legal services. Here, she negotiated large deals in sales, wholesale, retail and the public sector, before moving on to manage vast procurement contracts – including architecture, civil engineering works and service installations – for the Chief Operating Officer.
Dave Swanston’s career is anchored in a foundation of service excellence and leadership, cultivated during seven years in the Army. Transitioning to the telecommunications industry in 2012, Dave began as a Customer Service Engineer at Openreach, where he developed robust technical skills and a deep industry insight. His journey has been defined by progressive leadership roles and a commitment to driving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Dave’s tenure at Gigaclear saw him rapidly ascend from Repair Manager to Delivery Manager, and later as General Manager at Pickr, a software-focused firm focused on disrupting the industry. Here, he spearheaded strategic initiatives that significantly enhanced operational efficiency and elevated customer satisfaction metrics. Notably, his entrepreneurial drive led to the successful launch and subsequent sale of a civil engineering company, demonstrating his acumen in identifying market opportunities and executing effective business strategies.
As founder of Runfibre, an ISP he built from inception, Dave achieved notable milestones including the completion of four successful RGBVS projects and earning a stellar five-star rating on Trustpilot. The successful sale of Runfibre underscored its market potential and solidified Dave’s reputation as a visionary leader in the industry. Dave is the founder of Gigability, where he secured £5 million in initial funding to spearhead rural infrastructure development. Leveraging his extensive experience in rural fibre deployment, Dave is dedicated to bridging the digital divide and enhancing customer connectivity in underserved areas. His leadership ensures all initiatives not only meet but exceed regulatory standards, reflecting his commitment to industry innovation and compliance. Dave is currently Head of Commercial & Growth at Carnival Internet.
Dave is passionate about leveraging technology to create meaningful impact. His mission is to ensure high-quality connectivity is accessible to all, driving innovation and growth in the telecommunications sector. With a proven ability to lead complex projects and deliver outstanding results, Dave Swanston is poised to make significant contributions to any organisation seeking to enhance telecommunications infrastructure and customer experience.
Mashood Ahmad is the Founder and CEO of Gigabit IQ, a UK-based broadband provider focused on delivering safer, smarter, and more customer-friendly internet services. With a background spanning over 25 years in the telecommunications industry, Mashood has worked across several international markets and held leadership capacities at multiple operators and technology companies including NTT, Level 3 Communications, Nortel, Ciena & Calix. Mashood was also advisor to the Government of Maldives for the HulhuMale Open Access network project and International Subsea capacity.
At Gigabit IQ, Mashood has helped lead the development of managed Wi-Fi, advanced parental controls, and home cybersecurity tools that are easy to use and genuinely help families feel more in control of their online world. Alongside the team, he’s been proud to support digital inclusion through Grayshott Gigabit, building & expanding full fibre access to rural areas that are often overlooked.
Passionate about driving positive change in the UK telecoms space, Mashood is a vocal advocate for fairer, more transparent broadband. His team & organisation are addressing the status quo, to build a industry for safer, more intelligent internet access for all.
Ben is Public Affairs Lead for Gigaclear and is responsible for working with Members of Parliament across the ISP’s network. He deals with incoming enquiries and manages site visits, proactive contact and briefings to ensure MPs are across the work that Gigaclear are doing in their constituencies. He also supports Gigaclear’s work with central Government and advises the business on policy and political issues.
Ben has been with Gigaclear since January 2019 and prior to moving to Public Affairs, he worked as a Community Engagement Manager, where amongst other responsibilities he was responsible for delivering resident meetings in communities in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. Prior to that he spent seven years as Constituency Office Manager for Mark Harper MP (now Transport Secretary) in the Forest of Dean and managed his correspondence, diary and social media. He is also an experienced radio broadcaster having been programme manager at Radio Pembrokeshire for six years where the highlight was winning the 2010 Arqiva Award for Specialist Programme of the Year with his popular Friday Night Sport Show.