Philip Marnick

Group Head of Spectrum at Ofcom

Speaker

Philip is Group Director, Spectrum at Ofcom where he is responsible for managing the UK’s spectrum, including auctions and awards of spectrum used for mobile. In this role, Philip leads the UK’s international engagement on spectrum matters and has chaired the EU’s high level spectrum policy group, RSPG. This included leading work to define the 5G pioneer bands.

Philip has over 30 years’ experience in the wireless industry. Prior to joining Ofcom he held a range of various senior executive and board positions in large international telecoms groups and start-up’s (from initial concept to successful sale) - covering technology, corporate strategy and operations. This included roles at O2, Orange, BT, J-Phone (now Softbank Mobile), PCCW’s UK Broadband, SpinVox (now Nuance) and Extreme Mobile.

He has been involved with every generation of mobile from analogue to 5G. Throughout his career, he has been at the cutting edge of innovation - from working on the first mobile networks using new technologies and standards and new products such as the first camera phone and photo messaging service; to mobile internet and hosted voice services. Recently at Ofcom he has overseen the release of 5G spectrum in the UK, while implementing an innovative spectrum-sharing framework that helps give businesses and organisations flexible options for accessing the spectrum they need to innovate.