Digitel Talk

In this special Season 2 wrap-up episode, Digitel Talk host Ian Ginn is joined by telecoms industry leader Chris Hogg to reflect on a remarkable year of conversations exploring telecoms and technology for good.

Together, they revisit standout stories from across the season — from satellites using Bluetooth to reach the unconnected, and AI helping clear landmines, to drones saving lives, inclusive design for people with disabilities, sustainable energy projects, and community-driven connectivity.

With 32 episodes, voices from 78 countries, and insights gathered from global events including AI for Good, Network X, FYUZ, and Connected Britain, this episode offers a thoughtful look back at the ideas, innovations and people shaping a more connected, human-centred digital future.

Whether you’ve listened to every episode or are discovering Digitel Talk for the first time, this wrap-up is your gateway to the stories that mattered most — and a preview of what’s coming next.
Links & Resources:
Evergreen Strategy Partners
AI for Good Global Summit (ITU)
Network X
GLOMO Awards
FYUZ 
Connected Britain
Telecom Infra Project (TIP)
Episode sponsored by IFG Consulting Europe– Supporting telcos with tech strategy, digitisation and growth.
Guest Bio:
Chris Hogg is the founder of Evergreen Strategy Partners - a telecoms industry consultancy specialising in advising industry organisations and solving industry level challenges. Previous clients include organisations such as GCF - the mobile industry’s device certification programme and NGMN Alliance - which works on 6G requirements, sustainability and softwarization of networks.  Chris is also a former GLOMO judge in the category of Best mobile innovation for Climate action (2024). Prior to setting up his business Chris represented Nortel in industry standards bodies such as 3GPP, ETSI and ITU-T.  
Podcast credits:
Host: Ian Ginn
Editor: Francis Wright
Designer: Rebecca Ginn
Project manager: Ivana Duric

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Support the show
Follow Digitel Talk
Want to be a guest on the show or sponsor a podcast? For all enquires contact [email protected]

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You can find us on LinkedIn @digitel-talk or on our website www.digiteltalk.com

In this episode of Digitel Talk, host Ian Ginn is joined by Nat-Sy Missamou, VP at Orange Energies, to explore how connectivity, mobile money and clean energy are coming together to transform lives across Africa.
Nat-Sy shares how Orange evolved from powering telecom towers with solar energy to enabling households, entrepreneurs and entire communities to access affordable, reliable electricity — without the burden of upfront costs. Through innovative pay-as-you-go models, mobile money and smart energy platforms, Orange Energies is reducing risk, increasing trust, and unlocking opportunity where it matters most.
From solar-powered hair salons and community mini-grids to life-changing stories of small businesses thriving with reliable energy, this conversation reveals why access to clean power isn’t just an infrastructure challenge — it’s a human one.
A powerful reminder that when technology is designed around people, it can drive economic resilience, dignity and long-term impact.
Links & Resources:
Orange
News: Orange Energies opens up its digital platform
Episode sponsored by IFG Consulting Europe– Supporting telcos with tech strategy, digitisation and growth.
Guest Bio:
Nat-Sy Missamou, Senior Vice President of Orange Energies for Africa and the Middle East: With over 30 years of experience in the telco sector, Missamou leads Orange Energies' mission to make clean and affordable energy accessible across 12 countries in Africa and the Middle East. Her role focuses on leveraging digital and financial solutions, such as the "Orange Smart Energies" platform which uses a pay-as-you-go model for solar equipment and smart meters.
Podcast credits:
Host: Ian Ginn
Editor: Francis Wright
Designer: Rebecca Ginn
Project manager: Ivana Duric

Send us your feedback
Support the show
Follow Digitel Talk
Want to be a guest on the show or sponsor a podcast? For all enquires contact [email protected]

If you liked this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a 5* review and rating, it really helps our channel.

You can find us on LinkedIn @digitel-talk or on our website www.digiteltalk.com

In this episode of Digitel Talk, host Ian Ginn speaks with Hans Similon, General Manager of Citymesh Safety Drone, about the world’s first nationwide drone network designed to support emergency services. Hans shares how Citymesh deploys drones-in-a-box across Belgium, ready to take off within 90 seconds to assist fire brigades and police with real-time HD and thermal imaging.
Key highlights:
World-first innovation: 70 drones deployed nationwide, controlled via 4G/5G with dual-modem redundancy.
Impact on emergency response: Scaling interventions up or down based on live aerial insights.
Safety measures: BVLOS operations, automated return-to-home, and parachute deployment for risk mitigation.
Connectivity automation: Role of Inmanta in managing private and public networks for reliability.
Future vision: Dual-use cases for national safety and security, and potential NATO-wide coverage.
Episode sponsored by IFG Consulting Europe– Supporting telcos with tech strategy, digitisation and growth.
Guest Bio:
Hans Similon is a purpose-driven innovation leader with over two decades of experience at the intersection of technology, customer experience, and business development. Currently General Manager of the Safety Drone division at Citymesh, he leads pioneering work in “drone-in-a-box” solutions that provide real-time support to emergency services across Belgium.

The Citymesh Safety Drone Network is more than a drone fleet—it is a strategic infrastructure layer that enhances public safety today, and national security tomorrow. It provides Belgium with a sovereign, scalable, and smart serial solution ready for any scenario.
Podcast credits:
Host: Ian Ginn
Editor: Francis Wright
Designer: Rebecca Ginn
Project manager: Ivana Duric
Send us your feedback
Support the show
Follow Digitel Talk
Want to be a guest on the show or sponsor a podcast? For all enquires contact [email protected]

If you liked this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a 5* review and rating, it really helps our channel.

You can find us on LinkedIn @digitel-talk or on our website www.digiteltalk.com

Fibre speeds without the fibre build?
In this episode, Ian sits down with Dr. Omar Bakr, Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of Tarana Wireless, whose mission is to accelerate global access to fast, reliable and affordable broadband.
Omar shares the remarkable story of how Tarana emerged from PhD research into a breakthrough wireless platform now delivering gigabit-class fixed broadband — even without line of sight. He breaks down the technology in refreshingly simple terms, explains why “the last 10 metres” is the industry’s biggest challenge, and reveals how smarter wireless could help democratise connectivity around the world.
A conversation full of insight, big thinking, and human warmth — including Omar’s reflections on purpose, resilience, and the legacy he hopes to leave.
Links & Resources:
Tarana Wireless
GLOMO Awards
Network X
Episode sponsored by IFG Consulting Europe– Supporting telcos with tech strategy, digitisation and growth.
Guests Bio:
As founder and Chief Scientist of Tarana Wireless Inc., Omar Bakr was a key architect behind the technology powering the biggest breakthrough in wireless non-line-of-sight communications in the past 20 years. His leadership and contributions to the company’s core technology development as well as in business development and financing have been instrumental in driving the company on its current trajectory of rapid growth. His prior experience includes design and deployment of WiLDNet, a revolutionary low-cost, high‑performance wireless network, as part of UC Berkeley’s TIER Group. He has published technical papers on multi-antenna beamforming, wireless spectrum reuse, and delay-tolerant networking, and has been granted several patents in wireless communications and adaptive array technologies. Omar received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT in 2001 and 2003, and Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science from UC Berkeley in 2010.
Podcast credits:
Host: Ian Ginn
Editor: Francis Wright
Designer: Rebecca Ginn
Project manager: Ivana Duric
Send us your feedback
Support the show
Follow Digitel Talk
Want to be a guest on the show or sponsor a podcast? For all enquires contact [email protected]

If you liked this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a 5* review and rating, it really helps our channel.

You can find us on LinkedIn @digitel-talk or on our website www.digiteltalk.com

Recorded live at FYUZ, this Digitel Talk wrap-up brings together three industry powerhouses — Stéphane Téral, Geoff Hollingworth, and Vishal Mathur — for a fast-paced, insightful conversation on how cloudification, AI, and open architectures are reshaping the telecoms landscape.
From the cultural challenges of transforming traditional telcos, to why openness is no longer optional, to the role of AI in driving network efficiency and innovation — this episode captures the energy, debates, and breakthroughs that defined FYUZ.
Whether you’re a network strategist, technologist, policymaker, or simply curious about where the industry is heading, this wrap-up distils the must-know insights from one of the sector’s most important events.
Links & Resources:
FYUZ by Telecom Infra Project
Telecom Infra Project
Téral Research
Rakuten Symphony
Episode sponsored by IFG Consulting Europe– Supporting telcos with tech strategy, digitisation and growth.
Guests Bios:
Stéphane Téral is a leading telecom analyst with over 36 years of industry
experience, including nearly three decades in Silicon Valley. He specializes in next-
gen wireless infrastructure—5G, 6G, open RAN, cloud networking, and CSP digital
transformation—and advises global telecom providers, vendors, start-ups, and
investors on strategy, market opportunities, and M&A. A frequent keynote speaker
and media contributor, Stéphane is the founder of TÉRAL RESEARCH and has held
senior roles at LightCounting, IHS Markit, Infonetics Research, and RHK.
Geoff Hollingworth has been in the mobile communications industry for more than 30 years, beginning his career with Ericsson in 1991 and with 2G.  Throughout his journey in telecom and cloud, he’s been a software engineer and led research and development, business development, network rollouts, consulting, marketing campaigns and strategic communications for his teams.  
Vishal Mathur as Global Head of Engagement at Telecom Infra Project (TIP), is responsible for building a commercially sustainable operation with a broad and active member base, engaging globally with TIP members, industry stakeholders and policy makers to open opportunities for collaboration on R&D and commercial solution development within the area of advanced connectivity and AI.  
Podcast credits:
Host: Ian Ginn
Editor: Francis Wright
Designer: Rebecca Ginn
Project manager: Ivana Duric
Send us your feedback
Support the show
Follow Digitel Talk
Want to be a guest on the show or sponsor a podcast? For all enquires contact [email protected]

If you liked this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a 5* review and rating, it really helps our channel.

You can find us on LinkedIn @digitel-talk or on our website www.digiteltalk.com