Chris has been analysing the global telecoms and related industries for 40 years. His strengths lie in his ability to put the industry into context in its entirety, rather than dealing with its constituent elements and to pragmatically advise on the impact of technological and commercial changes.
In addition to his public commentary, Chris also consults with senior industry players behind closed doors, sharing open and frank perspectives on technology, products & services and strategies.
Insights on Telecoms
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5G: Having gorged itself on fat margins, is the telecoms industry now waking up to digital reality?
What do you get when you mix an academic, an optimistic technologist, a sceptical regulator, and the Great Telco Debate? A pragmatic view of where 5G is and where it is going. I thought it timely to revisit the 5G debate. The expert witness comments at the Great Telco Debate 2017 from Professor Rahim Tafazolli…
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Technology, mind maps and people! A blind man’s guide to MWC
The question I most often get asked at MWC is not what’s hot and what’s not. It’s always, how the hell do you cope with Barcelona and the FIRA as a blind person? The answer is a combination of planning, people and technology. Planning The annual MWC Lewis spreadsheet is legendary. It’s a masterpiece in…
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A ‘brand’ view of the telecoms industry
Tim Pritchard, Kantar TNS at the Great Telco Debate In the spirit of getting outside perspectives on the evolving telecoms market, Tim Pritchard from Kantar TNS, the WPP company which is the largest custom research business in the world, joined the Great Telco Debate on the role of telecoms in the digital economy. The brand…
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Learn to read the digital wind: A group CIO’s perspective of the state of the telecoms nation
One of my highlights from the last Great Telco Debate was my informal interview with Phil Jordan, former Group CIO from Telefonica, about his 20 years in the telecoms industry. We talked about the highs and lows of the role, the relative role of the CIO, telco transformation and the state of the market. Here…
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An Economist’s perspective on the future of telecoms
Getting external perspectives always adds to the richness of the Great Telco Debate. Mark Gregory, Chief Economist at EY in London and I discussed the economic realities of telecoms and the digital economy going forward. Here are the key themes that emerged: Measuring productivity in traditional economic terms has been challenged by the Gig economy…
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A Great Telco Debate 2017: an industry in transition from introspection to altruism?
The reason d’être of the Great Telco Debate is to air the broadest set of perspectives to help people challenge and shape their thinking around future strategies. It is increasingly evident that the telecoms industry has some major shifts in strategy to adopt in order to find its place in the digital economy. Drivers for…