SmallSat Summary Outcomes of WRC-23

As President of The Satellite Industry Association (SIA), Tom is the trade association’s lead advocate for regulatory and policy issues of critical importance to SIA’s membership, including spectrum and licensing issues, defense and public safety matters, and export control and international trade issues. He also manages the day-to-day operations of SIA, including member communications, staff leadership and organization of SIA sponsored events. Tom became the president of SIA in December of 2014.

Prior to joining SIA, Tom was with Shared Spectrum Company (SSC), a leading developer of spectrum intelligence technologies, where he served as CEO. For more than a decade, he served as the President of the Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA).

Tom holds a BS, summa cum laude, in Public Administration from the University of North Dakota. He is also a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center where he served as Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal.

With over 25 years of experience in satellite communications and regulations at international level, Mr Ciccorossi has taken the following responsibilities:

– Acting Head of the Satellite Systems Coordination Division at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

– Chairman of the 22nd. International Space Radio Monitoring Meeting (ISRMM), September 2021.

– Counsellor of DG-Plenary at the CPM-2023 and WG-6C at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012.

– Represented the ITU Radiocommunications Bureau at WRCs since 2003, as well as at several regional and international fora, including CITEL, ICAO, International Astronautical Congress, Eurocontrol, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Forum Europe, the Regulatory Expert Group of the ISRMM and ITU Study Groups.

– Advising ITU Member States and Sectors Members on technical regulatory matters of space services.

– Responsible for the analysis of GSO and NGSO satellite systems submitted to ITU and the treatment of cases of harmful interference.

Jorge has conceived the first (and unique) Intergovernmental Online Platform to Report RFI cases affecting Satellite System (SIRRS), assisting 193 ITU Member States in its resolution.

He holds the degree of engineer in electronics from the National University of Technology (UTN) in Buenos Aires, an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, and has studied satellite communications and spacecraft design at the University of Surrey in the UK.

Katherine is the Chief Executive Officer for River Advisers (formerly ManSat) which specializes in international spectrum regulation and market access. Before joining River Advisers, Katherine worked with U.S. defense contractors to bring commercial satellite and terrestrial communication technologies to austere environments in support of military, civil, and commercial initiatives.
Katherine serves as Chairwoman of Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI), mentors through the Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator and Space Generation Advisory Council, and supports the ITU’s Girls in ICT initiative.
A graduate of the International Space University’s Executive Program, Katherine holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce from the University of Virginia.

George John ensures regulations do not disrupt innovation and investment for established and emerging technologies particularly in the aerospace, telecommunications, sports, medical, and mobility industries.

Technologies empowering satellite connectivity, smartphone downloads, the monitoring of ball trajectory and speed or athlete biometrics at sporting events, real-time telehealth applications, and drone deliveries encounter U.S. and international regulation.

Operators of these and similar platforms regularly rely on George to navigate related legal, policy, and technical challenges. He advises clients on radiofrequency (RF) spectrum use, orbital debris mitigation, and remote sensing licensing while engaging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, national administrations outside the United States, and international standards bodies, including the International Telecommunication Union. Those interactions have helped him shape and streamline regulations on RF spectrum, the safety and sustainability of space, and Earth imagery; negotiate RF spectrum rights at international fora; and complete associated due diligence for venture-capital and private-equity investments.

Before joining Hogan Lovells, George served as in-house regulatory and transactional counsel for a pioneering nanosatellite company, where he secured satellite, earth station, and remote sensing licenses and negotiated satellite launch and insurance agreements. Other previous stops include the FCC’s International Bureau Satellite Division, where he tackled satellite and earth station licensing and rulemakings, and the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Chief Counsel, where he undertook commercial space launch, reentry, launch site operation, and other aviation regulation projects.

Outside of work, George actively mentors young lawyers and others interested in space, telecommunications, and technology.

Whitney Lohmeyer is currently serving a one year detail as the Chief Technologist of the FCC’s Space Bureau. She is on leave from her role as faculty at Olin College of Engineering and as a Research Affiliate at MIT. Whitney is passionate about higher education and enabling affordable Internet to empower individuals, and connect schools and healthcare centers. She has advised more than thirty companies on wireless system design and spectrum strategy. Whitney was the first engineer hired at OneWeb, where she worked with Qualcomm, actively contributed to policy reform at the FCC and ITU, and served on the U.S. Delegation to the 2015 World Radio Conference. Whitney received her Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT in 2015, and her M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT in 2013, and her B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from NC State University in 2011.