The first IO Advisory Board meeting targets industry-wide roaming acceleration
16 March 2023
2023 has already brought new developments in Innovative Operators (IO) including the community tool IO Mobilize, the development of the new format Roaming Connectivity Lab, and also the creation of the new Advisory Board.
The first Advisory Board Face to face meeting was held in Paris in March and hosted by Orange Group. Here, Industry players, thought leaders, strategists, and subject matter experts come together to provide insights and guidance to help the IO community achieve its Roaming Development Goals (RDGs).
The IO Executive Board agreed on the formation of the Advisory Board in November 2022, with Anis Mbarek (Vodafone) as the Chair, and Cameron Dunn (AT&T) as Deputy Chair. The Advisory Board welcomed Geok Chwee Ong (Bridge Alliance), John Wick (Syniverse), Kirit Ruparelia (Nextgen Clearing), Matteo Gatta (BICS), and Mehdi Triki (RoamSmart), who had been appointed by the Executive Board.
Prior to the strategic discussions, the Advisory Board members reviewed the Governance documents and policies to ensure the group was familiar with all IO policies. Jason Bryan (Director General at IO) and Dhiraj Wazir (Director of Programmes at IO) then shared an overview of the work being developed in the Accelerator Labs to help the Advisory Board understand how their expertise can support the progress of the Labs.
The group then tackled the major subject areas of Roaming Experience, Private Cellular Networks and Neutral Hosts, and Billing and Charging. Outlining these key industry topics from the perspective of MNOs, vendors, and customers was truly valuable for all the participants, who agreed on various initiatives that will be submitted to the IO Executive Board for them to take action on.
Through IO’s IO.30 Accreditation Program, MNOs are identifying the key vendors in the market who meet KPIs set by the members and with whom IO will rely upon for insights and guidance moving forward.
While IO remains a strictly MNO member organisation, MNOs believe it’s important to hear from companies within the wider ecosystem of roaming and beyond, including customers of roaming.
Concluding the session, the Advisory Board shared very positive feedback on the exchange of different points of views, and the course of action that had been proposed.
The next Advisory Board meeting will be hosted in June in Edinburgh, co-located with IO Plenary #04.
