Ros Singleton, former Chair of UK5G has been announced as the new Chair of the Telecoms Supply Chain Diversification Advisory Council.
Membership for the new term will comprise Andrea Donà (Vodafone); David Rogers (Copper Horse); Deborah Okenla (Your Startup, Your Story); Dimitra Simeonidou (University of Bristol); Howard Watson (BT); Iain Milligan (Three); Jeanie York (VM02), Jessica Rushworth (Digital Catapult), Rahim Tafazolli (University of Surrey); and Scott Steedman (BSI Group). Peter Haigh (NCSC, Technical Director) and Lindsey Fussell (Ofcom, Group Director for Networks and Communications) will be available to the Advisory Council to provide technical expertise.
The Council represents an opportunity to provide independent challenges and advice to the government in policy development and act as a voice for the industry on the topic of 5G supply chain diversification. Learn more with our interview with Ros Singleton below.
1/ Why did you want to take on the position of Council Chair?
Well, I’ve been a member of the council since its inception. The position was the natural next step. I’m delighted to be continuing to play a role in supporting DSIT as it continues on its journey to support the diversification agenda. The council has a big role to play: for example, within the Future Telecoms Mission Fund of up to £100 million and the £250 million Open Networks Research and Development Fund. There’s a lot going on, which is very exciting.
2/ Reflecting on your role within the council, what are you most proud of?
The ideas and principles that we have worked hard to bring together—such as interoperability—have been adopted and endorsed by other countries including Australia, Canada and the US. This helps us to promote key moves in telecoms globally, which is vital. International adoption goes hand-in-hand with our overall strategy, continuing our work at UK5G where we focused on supporting international trade and Britain’s standing overseas.
3/ What will your focus be for the council moving forward?
Primarily, I will be focused on supporting the delivery of the UK Open Networks Research and Development Fund, which is about £250 million. This will also include the One Networks Ecosystem competition that has recently been launched. We also need to ensure we are advising the government on how to drive consensus both nationally and internationally on the diversification of telecoms supply chains. Telecoms has just been announced as one of the UK’s five priority technologies and from my perspective, this puts us in a great position to influence government thinking about how we implement these recommendations.
4/ What would you like people to know about the council?
The council acts as a voice for the industry and a source of expertise for government ministers. We also work closely with the UK Telecoms Lab, SONIC and UKTIN as much as we can. Also, if there’s anything readers think we might be able to help with, people can feel free to get in touch.
5/ Is there anything else you’d like to add
Secure and diverse supply chains are a critical part of delivering a sustainable infrastructure to the UK and alongside transport and other utilities, telecoms are a really important part of that. For me, this is exactly why I’m taking on this role.
