Jonathan D. Aronson is Professor of Communication at the Annneberg School for Communication, and Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California. He graduated from Harvard University and received his Ph.D. from Stanford University. Aronson writes on issues related to international communications policy, globalization, international trade and trade negotiations. His current research focuses on ways in which communication and network developments related to privacy, equity, standard setting, competition policy, and international intellectual property shape the path of globalization. His main and most recent published work was “Transforming Global Information and Communication Markets: The Political Economy of Innovation” .

Prabir K. Neogi has a B.Eng. from Calcutta University in India and a Ph.D. (Engineering) from Imperial College, London University. He has worked for the Department of Communications of Canada (DOC), now  Industry Canada, where he is currently the Special Advisor on Electronic Commerce Branch. His areas of work and interest include: telecommunications and internet policy, broadband infrastructure deployment, e-business adoption, digital divide issues and the socio-economic implications of the widespread adoption and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

Raul Katz is the director of the Business Strategy Research Columbia Institute for Tele-Information. He holds a Master of Science degree in Communications Technology and Policy and a Ph.D. in Management and Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was previously a Lead Partner at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he was a member of the firm’s Leadership Team and Head of the US and Latin America Telecommunications practices. Katz’s current research interests are in developing forward-looking perspectives for the converged telecommunications and media sectors in the industry structure, and in studying “institutional irrational exuberance” in high technology investment.

Helani Galpaya holds a Master of Science degree in Technology and Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. She is currently the Chief Operations Officer and Indicators Specialist and leads research related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and telecom sector indicators at LIRNEasia. She is involved in researching various policy aspects related to  the use of mobile phones for morethan voice services, and has conducted research on the ability of ICTs to increase product traceability in agricultural markets. She previously worked at ICTA, the main ICT policy-making body in Sri Lanka, where she implemented the Government Information Center.

Paulo Lopes is a Telecommunications and Electronics Engineer from the Advanced Technical Institute of Lisbon. Since 2007, he is an advisor at the Information and Media Society of the European Commission Delegation in Brazil. Previously, he was responsible for  relations with Latin America in the General Directorate for Information and Media Society at the European Commission in Brussels, and has also worked in the department for policy and telecommunication regulation in the European Union. Before joining the European Commission, in 1993, Lopes worked in the international relations department of the Portuguese Telecommunications Regulatory Agency, ANACOM.

Juan Zavattiero is an Engineer specialized in Telecommunications, holding a degree from the University of Montevideo. Since 1992, he is Head of the Regional Office for the Americas of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and coordinates  activities and projects in telecommunication carried out by the ITU in  Latin America and the Caribbean.

Marcus Boklund is the Senior Policy Adviser in European Union Affairs at the Stragegic Affairs Department of the Swedish National Post and Telecom Agency. He is Master of Law from the University of Stockholm and European Master of Law and Economics from the University of Rotterdam. Previously, Boklund was the Head Secretary at the Swedish National Frequency Inquiry, as well as Official of the European Commission at the Information Society Directorate-General,  in the Unit for the implementation of the Regulatory Framework for electronic communications.

Alison Gillwald is Director at the Research ICT Africa, a 20 African country ICT policy and regulatory research network, and is affiliated to the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, Management of Infrastructure Reform and Regulation programme. Prior to this, she was Associate Professor at the Witwatersrand University Graduate School of Public and Development Management, where she founded the Learning Information Networking and Knowledge (LINK) Centre with the purposes of fast tracking ICT policy and regulatory training in Southern Africa. She has also  served in the founding Council of the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA). She was previously responsible for establishing the Independent Broadcasting Authority’s Policy Department in  South Africa, in 1995. She has served on several public boards and advisory bodies including chairing the National Digital Broadcasting Advisory Body.

Tomoyuki Saruwatari is Director of Broadband Division in the Electronic Communications Activity Department of the Secretariat of General Communications Infrastructure,  Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan. Previously, he servedas the director of the Department of Special Affairs at the Division of Government Policy, as well as director of the Department of Informatics Policy, both in the same Ministry. Saruwatari was also Deputy Governor of the Province of Kyoto.

Bruce Girard has extensive experience in a broad range of areas, including journalism, development communication, community media, research, education, and ICT applications for development. Key areas for current research are global media and communication governance, the use of ICTs by independent media in developing countries, and civil society participation in policymaking processes and activities. He is currently working with a UNDP-led Digital Review project for Latin America and the Caribbean which will bring together researchers and organisations from across the region. Girard’s experience is global, having worked and lectured in more than forty countries.

Malcolm Webb is a partner at Webb Henderson, an international legal and regulatory practice, advising clients in the telecommunications, media and technology sectors around the world.  Malcolm’s particular focus is in the telecommunications sector, where he has been advising telecommunications clients since 1994 on the most important regulatory issues and commercial transactions that affect their businesses.  Over the last 12 months, Malcolm has advised on a number of the key Government-sponsored high speed broadband projects around the Asia-Pacific region, including in Singapore (for the IDA), Australia (for NBNCo), New Zealand (for Vector) and Malaysia (for Telekom Malaysia).  He is also an adviser to broadcasters and new media companies on strategic regulatory and commercial matters, as well as to corporates on major technology projects.  He is the Co-Chair of the Communications Law Committee of the International Bar Association.

Márcio Iorio Aranha is Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law at the University of Brasilia and Professor of Law at the Center for Policy, Law, Economics and Communication Technologies (CCOM). He is a Visiting Fellow at the Annenberg Research Network on International Communication (ARNIC) of the University of Southern California. He received his M.Sc. from the University of Brasilia Law School and his Ph.D. from the University of Brasilia´s Center of Comparative Studies on the Americas. Aranha writes on issues related to constitutional rights, institutional guarantees, civic virtue and regulation. He coordinates the Telecommunication Law Study Group and the Center for Regulatory Law, at the University of Brasilia.

Radhika Lal is team leader for the newly initiated programme on Industrial, Institutional and Technological Innovation Policy at the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG), a joint project of the United Nations Development Programme and the Brazilian Government.  She is an economist with over twenty years of experience in development research and political consultancy. Her research currently focuses on new information and communication technologies and their potential for enhancing pro-poor development choices and innovation, and ultimately, more viable growth and development paths in the countries of the South.  She has also been active in global level fora and partnerships such as the Geneva-Tunis World Summit on the Information Society (2003-2005) and its follow-up processes, in supporting the United Nations Secretary General’s Task Force on Financial Mechanisms for ICTD.

Marcio Wohlers has an Eletric Engineering degree from the University of São Paulo and Master and Doctorate degrees in Economic Sciences from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). He concentrates his research in Industrial Economy issues, such as privatization, internationalization and industrial policy.

Tracy Cohen is the Managing Executive on Regulatory Affairs at Neotel Ltd – South Africa’s first converged communications provider. She served from 2004-2008 as a Councillor at the South African Communications regulator – ICASA. Her portfolio entailed primarily market access and competition, including interconnection, facilities leasing and developing the competition framework required by the newly promulgated Electronic Communications Act. Dr. Cohen obtained her doctorate in law from the University of Toronto and has previously held teaching posts at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg and various research and visiting posts at Columbia University in New York City; the University of Toronto and the London School of Economics.