About Stephen Temple

Stephen is currently visiting Professor at the University of Surrey 5G/6G IC focusing on mobile technology strategy and radio spectrum policy.

His track record in spectrum began in 1971 when he represented the UK at the ITU 1971 Space Conference on spectrum sharing between earth stations and radio relays.  He has since been responsible for two groundbreaking advances in mobile spectrum. He was the first policy maker in the world to bring about the use of a band above 1 GHz for cellular mobile. Nobody at the time believed that was economically feasible for a national mobile service. He was first to propose that, for economic reasons, 5G could not run on just one spectrum band and came up with the proposal for three 5G pioneer bands, later adopted across Europe.  Whilst in the Home Office he planned the change of emergency services radio networks from low to high band VHF.

His past accomplishments have changed the face of the mobile industry. His largest success was as author of the GSM Memorandum of Understanding that was to eventually bring the entire global mobile technology eco-system into lockstep on next generation mobile technical standards. He transformed European technical standards making in helping bring about the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. He was the driving force behind Digital Terrestrial TV and Digital Audio Broadcasting starting in the UK.

In the private sector he pioneered ntl’s broadband Internet, harmonised the digital cable TV platforms of merged cable TV companies and become MD of their networks division. He was later director of special projects in Vodafone’s HQ Corporate Strategy. 

He was awarded a CBE in 1996 for services to trade and industry. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the IET. He won the 1994 IEEE prize for international communications and the 1996 GSM Association Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Contact: stephentemple.surrey@gmail.com