Regulation vs. Evolution
Tuesday, January 25, 2005, 1:30pm - 3:30pm
After the Pulver Order in the US, the world has made distinctions between replacement services and something else.
· Will Internet and Telephony regulation ever unite?
· Does Competition using VoIP have to be managed like a Telecom?
· What is the implication for End-to-End IP services?
· Can standards stay universal and international? Or will VoIP look like the SS7 network in 10 years?
Jonathan Askin, General Counsel, Pulver enterprises
Jonathan Askin is General Counsel/Wartime Consiglieri to pulver.com, which controls approximately 20 operating companies touching various aspects of IP-based communications. Before joining pulver.com, Jonathan was President and General Counsel to ALTS, the leading national trade association representing facilities-based CLECs. Jonathan was a senior attorney in the FCC’s Common Carrier Bureau before joining ALTS. Prior to the FCC, he was a New Jersey Deputy Public Advocate, where he represented the public on telecommunications and cable issues. Jonathan also practiced law with the New York offices of Davis, Polk. Jonathan is an honors graduate of both Harvard College and Rutgers Law School, and clerked for the late Chief Justice Robert Wilentz of the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Eckhart Gouras, Managing Director, KEGO Consulting GmbH
Eckart Gouras has been involved in the IP communications industry since 1996, first as founder and managing director of Germany’s first Internet telephony service provider, POPTEL Telecommunications AG. Following POPTEL’s trade sale in 1999, Eckhart joined OCEN Communications Inc. in Los Angeles as head of business development and legal.
In 2001 Eckhart returned to Berlin, Germany, to set up his own consultancy in the field of broadband communications and services. Prior to his work in the IP communications industry Eckhart worked as a lawyer for the international law firm Coudert Brothers. He is a graduate of New York’s Columbia University (B.A., J.D.) and a member of the New York State Bar since 1988.
John Irvine, Vice President Voice Services, Level 3 Europe
Mr. Irvine is Vice President of Voice Services Europe, for Level 3 Communications, responsible for Level 3’s voice over IP services.
Prior to joining Level 3 at the beginning of 2004, he was Vice President of the Advanced Communications Division for Inclarity plc, where he created and launched the UK’s first Voice over Broadband Service. Before this he held numerous positions in his 10 years with BT.
Mr. Irvine holds a degree in Computer Science from the University of Ulster and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, North Carolina.
Eli Katz, Co-Founder, ITSPA
Eli obtained a first in Computer Science from Imperial College in 1992 and then established an IT Consultancy for the financial and internet sectors. In 1996 he joined Telco Global (a UK telecoms service provider) at its inception as Board Member. In 1999, as Managing Director, Telco grew to 1 Million Telephony, Mobile & Internet customers and he was a key player in the IPO of the US parent company.
He left in 2003 to form T-Strategy - a company focussing on Broadband Telephony solutions, services and strategic alliances. In 2004, he co-founded, UK's first IP Telephony industry body, ITSPA, and is also the founder of the Internet Phone Alliance.
David Steen, CEO, Teleplus Consulting
David Steen is the sole shareholder of Teleplus Consulting. His firm specializes in the analysis and interpretation of long distance tariffs on behalf of large enterprise clients. Under his guidance, Teleplus has developed a proprietary database containing all of the tariffs filed by the major long distance carriers. Teleplus employees and contractors use this database to support the negotiation of hundreds of long distance contracts each year. Steen has spent the last 23 years in the telecommunications industry. Steen is the principal negotiator for Teleplus Consulting. In addition to long distance voice and data contracts, Teleplus also negotiates contracts relating to mobile (cellular) services, internet services, and local telecommunications services.
Philippe Wintrebert, Director, Law & Government Affairs, AT&T Europe Middle East Africa
Philippe Wintrebert is director of government & regulatory affairs for AT&T Europe Middle East Africa, based in Paris. He currently serves as the chair of the telecommunications commission of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Prior to joining AT&T in 1999, he worked at Alcatel from 1978-1984 on the design of digital switching systems. He joined IBM in 1984 holding various management positions in the european network services division until he became executive director of regulatory affairs for the IBM Corporation in 1996.
Mr Wintrebert graduated from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications, Paris in 1977. He is married with three children.
