Thursday, 25 April 2024
Awards Ceremonies
Presentation of the Best Paper Awards
Presentation of the ICNS Champion Award
8:40 – 9:15
Plenary V: Spectrum Solutions for Tomorrow’s Technology
Airspace users depend on safe, reliable, and efficient communications using protected spectrum allocated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This spectrum is often sought by non-aviation entities. Efforts to maintain spectrum allocation for safety services will be presented along with opportunities to use commercial spectrum for non-safety services. Speakers in this plenary include Airbus, ASRI, BNetzA Germany, FAA, and ICAO.
Co-chairs
Sandra Wright, Manager, Spectrum Planning & International, FAA
Sandra Wright is an electrical engineer and manager of the Federal Aviation’s Spectrum Planning and International Team in the Spectrum Engineering Services group. She has 20+ years of technical experience along with program management and a command of public speaking in multiple languages to successfully engage multinational workforces that require the reconciliation of different national approaches to operations, development of policy, equipment standards, testing, and safety. Known for her savvy negotiating skills, strong diplomacy experience, and years of working within the U.S. interagency coordination process towards developing U.S. positions with NTIA and FCC, as well as liaising with international organizations on U.S. spectrum and telecommunication policy, such as the United Nations International Telecommunications Union Radio Sector (ITU-R), Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). as a senior technical advisor, Sandra is relied on for counsel on requirements definition, developing national objectives, and formulating short and long-term U.S. government strategies for international communications and information policy on a bilateral and multilateral basis.
Passionate about supporting emerging technology for transportation and advancing society and global connectivity to reduce the digital divide, mainly focusing on efforts in the Americas and the Caribbean. A recognized international leader with technical, operational, industrial, and regulatory experience in the United Nations and CITEL, served as the working group chair for aviation and maritime safety agenda items for four weeks at the World Radio Conference in 2023 (WRC-23) in Dubai and the vice president of the Terrestrial Group in CITEL. Sandra enjoys analyzing trends in spectrum-based technologies and telecommunication standards internationally and advising the U.S. Ambassador, Department of State, Department of Transportation, and FAA senior leaders on the implications to policies and interests of the U.S.
Loftur Jónasson, Chief CNS & Spectrum, ICAO
Loftur Jónasson joined the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2007 and currently serves as the chief of its CNS and Spectrum (CNSS) Section. Main responsibilities include international Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) for communications, navigation, and surveillance systems, as published by ICAO.
He also serves as the secretary of the Frequency Spectrum Management Panel of ICAO’s Air Navigation Commission and as such represents the coordinated civil aviation interests during the ITU World Radiocommunication Conferences and other international radio regulatory fora.
Prior to joining ICAO, Loftur had over 15 years of experience with various aeronautical radio- and telecommunications engineering tasks and projects, mainly in support of air/ground and ground/ground communications, as well as aeronautical surveillance applications in the North Atlantic region.
Panelists
Andrew Roy, Director of Engineering Services, ASRI
Andrew Roy is the director of engineering services at Aviation Spectrum Resources, Inc. (ASRI), acting as a focal point for U.S. airlines and other commercial aviation operators on spectrum engineering and regulatory considerations. He is chair of the ICAO Frequency Spectrum Management Panel, is a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Spectrum Management Advisory Committee, and sits on the RTCA Program Management Committee. Roy is a veteran of the UK Royal Air Force with a background in RF battlespace management. He earned his master’s degree in systems engineering from Loughborough University and is a chartered engineer at the UK Institute of Engineering and Technology.
Chris Tourigny, Electronics Engineer, Spectrum Planning and International, FAA
Chris Tourigny is an electronics engineer with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Spectrum Planning and International Team, Spectrum Engineering Services Group, where he endeavors to maintain the safe and efficient operation of the airspace for all users. He applies expert technical knowledge of radio communications systems and science and engineering principles, techniques, and practices to review, plan, develop, and present radio frequency management policies, regulations, technical procedures, and criteria concerning the use, sharing, management, and allocation of the radio frequency spectrum. Chris Tourigny holds a B.S. in physics and an M.S. in applied and engineering physics from George Mason University. He is an instrument-rated private pilot.
Alexander Kuehn, Head of International and National Spectrum Management, BNetzA
Alexander Kuehn is currently the chairman of the ITU-R Conference Preparatory Meeting towards WRC-27. He has over 20 years’ experience in spectrum management and is governmental director for international and national spectrum management at the German regulator BNetzA.