About
“Forging Ahead” is an online showcase of cutting-edge innovators solving problems and transforming the telecom industry for the better.
Heard that all before? In all likelihood, so have experienced journalists and analysts.
In these discussion-led conversations we don’t just take innovators’ word for it, we let leading observers of the industry test out their claims and ask the difficult questions… and you have the chance to join in too.
The emphasis in each session will be firmly on practical demonstrations, augmented by discussion with industry thought leaders from news outlets and analysts, together with audience interaction.
Agenda
14 July
5 pm CET: Succeeding in the Digital Trust Business
People have developed fairly effective methods to gauge trustworthiness in their physical environment, but digitally humanity is still learning. Cybersecurity is an important tool, but not the only one, in helping people feel confident that entities online are what they appear to be.
In a digital environment increasingly marred by AI slop, disinformation, misinformation and fraud, the telecoms ecosystem has strengths it can play to, adding value to end users, good actors and – as a consequence – the bank balance. Join us to learn how innovative companies are turning the hyperscalers’ “attention economy” into a trust economy where telecoms plays a crucial part.
15 July
2 pm CET: Operationalising AI Effectively
AI has been a buzzword and a priority for several years now, but the telecoms environment often has reasons to step back. When performance is obligatory and regulation may be incoming, trusting in a black box is worrying. And we have all heard horror stories of AI implementations that fail to deliver impact.
So how do we deliver more than machine learning and automation to our networks? How can we ensure it’s performing, and that it can outperform other, ‘safer’ options? This session brings insights from those at the cutting edge of this issue, destruct-tested by some of the sharpest observers in the business.
Dan Pratl
CEO and Founder, Quadron
Bio
Dan Pratl is the Founder and CEO of Quadron, where he is building verification infrastructure for credible human insight in the AI era.
His background spans the SEC during the Great Recession, Red Hat during open source’s inflection point, a crowdfunding startup shaped by enabling legislation, and crypto at Ava Labs. His work is centered on incentives, distributed systems, and building infrastructure that better recognizes human potential and real-world value.
Donald W Jacobs
CEO & Founder, E^NAT IP
Bio
Donald W. Jacobs is the Founder and Managing Member of E^NAT IP and E^NAT Technologies. His work focuses on continuity, interoperability, and governance across distributed infrastructure environments spanning telecom, cloud, satellite, edge, and emerging autonomous systems.
Jacobs is associated with a portfolio of patented technologies, including Multiple Secure Link (MSL), Dual NAT, and ReNAT architectures, originally developed to address continuity challenges across distributed communications environments.
His current work explores Governance Continuity—the preservation of identity, policy, operational state, evidence, and accountability across independently governed domains. As infrastructure becomes increasingly distributed, autonomous, and AI-enabled, he advocates for governance-aware architectures that enable organizations to cooperate and interoperate without surrendering sovereignty, control, or accountability.
Daryl Schoolar
Director,
Recon Analytics
Bio
Daryl joined Recon Analytics in 2023 as an Analyst and Director. Daryl’s research at Recon Analytics focuses on telecommunication service providers and companies that provide networking communication solutions to those service providers. Some of the topics he covers are digital transformation, 5G, 6G, cloud networking, and telecom service strategies.
Prior to joining Recon Analytics, he held similar roles at IDC, Omdia, Current Analysis, and In-Stat. Prior to becoming an industry analyst, Daryl worked at telecommunications service provider Cable & Wireless USA, where he was a member of the marketing and competitive intelligence team.
Daryl brings over 20 years of industry analyst experience to Recon Analytics. As an industry analyst Daryl has been involved in such projects as helping technology vendors develop use cases for new products and services, identifying new technology trends, and providing go-to-market strategies for vendors and communication service providers.
He has regularly spoken at industry and vendor events on the trends that are shaping the telecommunications market. He is also sought out by trade publications to comment on mergers and acquisitions, new product announcements, and market developments.
Daryl has a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management from Virginia Tech.
Dimitris Mavrakis
Senior Research Director
ABI Research
Bio
Dimitris Mavrakis, Senior Research Director, manages ABI Research’s telco network and cloud computing coverage, including hybrid cloud platforms, digital transformation, and mobile network infrastructure. Research topics include AI and machine learning in telco networks, hybrid cloud deployments and technologies, telco software and applications, 5G, 6G, cloud-native networks, and both telco and cloud ecosystems.
Scott Bicheno
Editorial Director,
Telecoms.com
Bio
As the Editorial Director of Telecoms.com, Scott oversees all editorial activity on the site and also manages the Telecoms.com Intelligence arm, which focuses on analysis and bespoke content.
Scott has been covering the mobile phone and broader technology industries for over ten years.
Prior to Telecoms.com Scott was the primary smartphone specialist at industry analyst Strategy Analytics’. Before that Scott was a technology journalist, covering the PC and telecoms sectors from a business perspective.
Ryan Jeffery
Founder,
Passionate About OSS
Bio
Ryan is Passionate About OSS and has dedicated the last two decades to sharing this passion for OSS / BSS and telco with the world. He is a founder, author, blogger, Engineer, connector and inquisitive learner about OSS and managing large-scale networks.
To find out a little more about his back-story and why he’s so Passionate About OSS, click on the About Page. To connect with Ryan and the PAOSS team, click on the Contact page.
Alex Davies
Senior Analyst
Rethink TV & Wireless
Bio
Alex heads up the forecasting and consulting projects in Rethink TV, as well as leading the Wireless group – overseeing Wireless Watch, and RAN Research. He particularly enjoys picking the brains of industry experts, to diagnose technologies and business models, and also the occasional rant about open source and industry standards.
Alex enjoys public speaking, moderating discussion panels, and presenting his research findings to the world – often going against the grain. With experience in webinars and podcasting, both in-house and external (such as Global 5G Evolution, TFI Technology, and Show Me The Money), judging industry awards (like the CSI Awards and the GLOMOs), and speaking bluntly to investor events (sometimes under NDA). He particularly enjoys taking large companies to task, and ranting about the inefficiencies that are encumbering the largest operators and vendors.
Alex came aboard to lead Rethink’s IoT initiatives. He cut his teeth on Faultline, before launching Riot (which ran from 2014 to 2020) and now delivers vital competitive intelligence for companies and their technology choices. Alex focuses on the infrastructure used to transport video through internet networks, as well as operator network deployments, and staying ahead of whichever buzzwords are doing the rounds currently.
Alex joined Rethink in 2013, having graduated with a Master’s degree in English Literary Studies, from the University of Southampton. A keen hobbyist builder of computers and workstations, the current custodian of a 250 year old stone cottage, and a begrudging DIY enthusiast, Alex is also a fan of weird books and horrible nasty music.
Adlane Fellah
Chief Analyst,
Maravedis Research
Bio
Adlane Fellah, CWTS and CWNA, is the Chief Analyst at Maravedis Research, a leading wireless analyst firm he founded in 2002. He has authored numerous landmark reports on wireless convergence and managed connectivity across multiple industries.
A recognized thought leader, Mr. Fellah is frequently invited to speak at major wireless and connectivity conferences and to contribute to influential industry publications. He also serves as a long-standing judge for several prestigious telecommunications awards.
Stephane Teral
Founder,
Teral Research
Bio
With over 37 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, including 30 years in Silicon Valley, Stéphane Téral is regarded as one of the top analysts in his field, having been the trusted advisor at some of the world’s largest telecom providers and manufacturers. He specializes in next-generation wireless infrastructure including 5G and 6G, network disaggregation and automation, cloud and quantum networking, programmable core networks and communications service provider digital transformation.
As an advisor to start-ups, service providers, vendors and the investment community, Stéphane helps clients identify new market opportunities, conducts due diligence, and advises on positioning, product development, business plans and M&A. A highly sought thinker and speaker, Stéphane is frequently quoted in prestigious publications such as The Economist, Nikkei Asia, Le Monde, Les Echos, L’Usine Nouvelle, Barron’s, and The Wall Street Journal. He also chairs and presents at global industry events including Brooklyn 6G Summit, FYUZ, GSMA Mobile World Congress, OCP Regional Summit, and NGMN IC&E. Stéphane has been a frequent expert judge for industry and technology innovation awards, such as the GSMA Global Mobile Awards (the GLOMOS), and the Layer123 World Congress.
Stéphane founded TÉRAL RESEARCH in January 2023 after 2 years as a Chief Analyst at LightCounting, which he joined in May 2020, after serving as a Technology Fellow at IHS Markit where he was also rewarded with the 2016 Market Research Excellence Award. Previously, he spent 8 years as a principal analyst at Infonetics Research after starting his analyst career at RHK, where he developed the European optical coverage and helped carriers migrate from PSTN to next-generation networks. Prior to RHK, he was an R&D engineer and project manager with Alcatel where he deployed the CATV optical networks that allowed the 1992 Olympics and the grand opening of Euro Disney to be televised using fiber optics for the first time. Stéphane is a McGowan Scholar at the McLaren School of Business of the University of San Francisco where he received his MBA with an emphasis in telecommunications. He holds an engineering degree in telecommunications from the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France.
Partners & Sponsors
Sponsor The Next Forging Ahead
Forging Ahead is a two-day online showcase where real demos meet smart debate—putting your innovation in front of a global audience and in conversation with leading analysts and journalists.
What you get
- Demo Spotlight: showcase your company or solution in a high-impact segment.
- Analyst & Journalist Discussion: gain independent validation and credibility through a moderated conversation with recognised industry voices.
- Ongoing Visibility: logo, profile and links featured on the event hub with continued live + on-demand exposure.
- Brand Amplification: pre-, during- and post-event promotion across our channels to keep your message in market.
- Lead-Ready Collateral: house whitepapers, case studies and resources alongside your profile to convert interest into conversations.
- Repurposable Assets: receive the edited recordings of your segment for ABM, events and sales outreach.
- Thought Leadership: align with the industry’s New Wave—from value-led services to next-gen network models—and shape the narrative.
Optional enhancements
- Join a live panel with analysts and journalists
- Feature additional collateral and campaign bursts
- Extend branding across event touchpoints
- Showcase multiple innovations
Results that last
Sponsors see sustained engagement beyond the live sessions via our multi-channel distribution and on-demand audience.
Ready to lead the conversation?
Position your team in front of analysts, journalists and a global audience—and leave with standout assets and ongoing visibility. Enquire to sponsor and we’ll tailor the right package for your goals.
