Canadian Association of Wireless Internet Service Providers
Association des fournisseurs de service internet sans fil (CanWISP)

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Bram Abramson 

Commissioner, Ontario
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

Bram Abramson is a Commissioner at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), where he contributes to shaping Canada’s regulatory approach to broadcasting and telecommunications. With a background in communications law, industry analysis, and public policy, he has extensive experience at the intersection of connectivity, competition, and digital innovation. Prior to his appointment, he acted as counsel for a clients that included a broad range of telecom providers; headed legal and regulatory at an independent network operator; and, as a a telecom industry analyst, mapped cross-border internet and infrastructure trends.

Sergiu Albu 

Great Lakes RSM
Cambium Networks

Vardin Amiri 

Sr. Sales Engineer
Tarana Wireless

Vardin Amiri is Tarana's highly seasoned Technical Sales Engineer with more than 25 years of experience in the wireless industry. He has worked for manufacturers of Point-to-Point and Point-to-Multipoint wireless solutions built on proprietary and standard based technologies, such as LTE and 802.11xx chipsets.

Vass Bednar

Master of Public Policy in Digital Society

Jonathan Black 

Executive Director
NANOG

As NANOG’s Executive Director, Jonathan oversees the organization’s operations and collaborates with the NANOG Board to enhance and implement its mission and strategic plan. Prior to joining NANOG in May 2024, Jonathan was the Executive Director of CanWISP, where he played a key role in advocating for and supporting the interests of rural Internet Service Providers in Canada. Additionally, he served as an advisor to ISPs through KURO Partners, providing financial and strategic guidance and support. He experienced the high-growth period of the Internet bubble as part of the Venture Capital sector in the late 1990s, and learned critical lessons from the challenges that followed when the bubble burst, working inside an internet startup during that tumultuous time. Jonathan has an MBA from Ivey Business School at Western University, a Graduate Diploma from Regent College and a B.Math (Applied Math / Comp Sci) from the University of Waterloo.

Brenda Bouchette 

Technical and Economic Adviser
Tacit Law

Brenda is a Technical and Economics Advisor at Tacit Law. A professional engineer and economist with 25 years' experience in the telecommunications industry, Brenda has broad knowledge of fixed and mobile networks. Brenda understands the technical and business challenges facing network operators. In her role at Tacit Law, Brenda helps operators understand the policies that affect competition and rural connectivity in Canada, including spectrum policy, wholesale access regulation, and spectrum auctions. Brenda is a board member of CanWISP, and has worked with both CanWISP and the BC Broadband Association to influence policies affecting rural connectivity.

Simon Brascoupé 

Elder
Kitigan Zibi First Nation, an Algonquin First Nation based in Maniwaki, QC

Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg means "Garden River People" or “River Desert People”. The reserve has approximately 3300 members. Simon is an Anishinabe artist (https://basket.simonbrascoupe.com/), and is acting President and Chief Executive Officer at First Nations Education Administrators Association. Simon is also a Senior Fellow, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa; Adjunct Research Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University; and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies at Trent University. He has a research interest in land based healing, traditional medicine and traditional knowledge. He conducts research and writes on cultural competency and safety. He has written and worked in the field of traditional knowledge and intellectual Property Rights. Previously Simon was Chief Executive Officer, National Aboriginal Health Organization; Director, Primary Health Care Division, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada; and Director, Aboriginal Affairs Branch, Environment Canada. He has a B.A. and M.A. from State University of New York at Buffalo, where he worked on a Ph.D. He is a Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator from AFOA Canada and a Certified First Nations Health Manager from the First Nations Health Manager Association.

Susan Church

Blue Sky Economic Growth Corp (Blue Sky Net)

Following her time spent working in marketing throughout large cities across Canada, Susan returned to her hometown of North Bay and has spent nearly 30 years working in economic development, telecommunications, and local government with a passion for supporting Northern Ontario. Since 2002 she has worked for Blue Sky Economic Growth Corporation, a non-profit economic development corporation with a mandate for technology development. In all those years Susan has formed partnerships with all levels of governments and communities in leading numerous projects related to telecommunication infrastructure and economic development – projects that have led to social, health, education, innovation, and economic progress. Through her current role as the Executive Director of Blue Sky Economic Growth Corporation Susan has led the technology development organization through numerous Broadband infrastructure projects. Her awareness of the demographics, geography, and make-up of the economic and social issues of Northern Ontario are honed daily with a vision of always moving our region of Ontario forward.

Dave Clelland 

System Engineer
MBSI WAV

40+ years in the telecommunications world, mostly in wireless! Starting in 1980 held positions as technician, applications engineering, engineering management, systems engineering, sales engineer, trainer, lab manager, and a host of other positions over the years. I've worked as far east as Kuwait, as far west as Alaska, as far north as Yukon Territory, and as far south as Barbados, 10 of the 11 provinces in Canada, 49 of the 50 US states, and numerous Caribbean countries. My tenure has spanned Tier 1 operators, equipment manufacturers, system integrators, and now a distributor. My personal mission for the end of my career is to spread the knowledge and experience I've gained to as many employed in the telecommunications industry as I can.

Andre Cleroux 

Chair
CanWISP

Christopher Copeland 

Barrister and Solicitor
Tacit Law

Bayan Deanparvar 

Fiber Solutions Engineer
MBSI WAV

Before assuming the role of Fiber Solutions Engineer at WAV and mbsiWAV, Bayan served as the Vice President of Operations at an ISP in Southeast Wisconsin. In 2019, he spearheaded the creation of a Fiber Optic division to augment their expansive wireless network, which comprised over 150 towers. With a professional background spanning more than two decades, Bayan brings a considerable wealth of knowledge to the industry. Since transitioning to WAV and mbsiWAV, Bayan has been instrumental in enlightening various WISPs on the critical aspects of Fiber Optic network design and architecture. Actively engaged, he assists ISPs in overcoming challenges associated with deploying a fiber network, ensuring their success in this innovative venture.

Mikko Jarvela
Nokia

Mikko Jarvela is a seasoned radio network product professional with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Based at Nokia's U.S. headquarters in Dallas for the past two decades, he has cultivated strong relationships with customers across the U.S. and Canada. As a Solutions Manager for radio, Mikko leverages his deep understanding of radio technology to provide expert guidance on key areas like 5G, FWA, and mMIMO. With a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Oulu University in Finland, specializing in telecommunications, Mikko brings a strong foundation of technical expertise to his role.

Bradley Joe 

Sr. Director of Product Strategy
Comtrend

Bradley H. Joe, Sr. Director of Product Strategy at Comtrend, has over 30+ years of experience in technology, working with EDS, Belkin, Gateway, D-Link, and currently 10 years at Comtrend. He specializes in networking solutions across Consumer, SMB, and Business channels, with experience in product strategy, project management, sales operations, and strategic partnerships. He advocates for OpenPON-based Access in fiber broadband.

Paul Lefebvre

Business Development Executive
MBSI WAV

Peter Menzies 

Principal
Menzies Strategies

Peter Menzies is an independent consultant, freelance commentator and Senior Fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute for whom he has authored a number of policy papers, two in collaboration with former CRTC Chair Konrad von Finckenstein. Menzies's resume includes 10 years as a CRTC vice chair (telecommunications) and regional commissioner (AB-NWT), 30 years in the newspaper business including as publisher of the Calgary Herald and six years as Executive Director of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. He is an ardent advocate for sensible public policy designed to meet the needs of consumers and citizens.

Randy Montoya 

North American Sales Executive
Intracom Telecom

Randy Montoya, NA Sales Executive for Intracom Telecom, is an industry veteran with 22 years of experience in point-to-point wireless systems operating in free-space optics, millimeter wave (60 to 80GHz) and microwave (6 to 23 GHz) spectrum. He has served as a senior manager and executive in various roles including member of technical staff, product development, product management, channel sales, and sales management for data and wireless technologies. Since early 2000s, Randy has supported and consulted customer’s with high capacity wireless needs while representing some of the largest telecom and wireless manufacturers as well as multiple data and wireless start-ups. His passion for new and innovative market-leading wireless technologies has led him to his current role as a sales executive for Intracom Telecom supporting customers in North America Region. Intracom Telecom’s U.S headquarters are based in Duluth GA, and worldwide headquarters in Athens Greece area.

Tina Morris 

Technical Business Developer
Amazon Web Services

Gerrit Nagelhout 

CEO and co-founder of Aterlo
Preseem - Aterlo

Sergio Palladini 

Industry Manager, Telecommunications
Esri Canada

Sergio Palladini is the Industry Manager for Telecommunications with Esri Canada, a global leader and supplier of Geographic Information System software. Working within the utilities practice at Esri Canada, Sergio is focused on illustrating the importance of geospatial technology as it applies to the telecommunications industry and how geospatial technology can be used to support the OSS and BSS landscape of a telecom operator. Prior to joining Esri Canada, Sergio spent 16 years of his career working with Enghouse Networks, a Canadian-based software company focused on the development and delivery of geospatial telecommunication solutions for wireline network design and management. During his time with Enghouse Networks he served many roles including a role in QA, Technical Support, Professional Services, and Sales all in support of a global customer base. He holds an undergraduate degree from Queen's University, Kingston Ontario and a master’s degree in Geographic Information Systems from the University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta.

Steve Song 

Senior Director, Infrastructure Mapping and Development
The Internet Society

I am the Senior Director, Infrastructure Mapping and Development at the Internet Society. I focus on developing deeper insights into the physical infrastructure underpinning the Internet to more easily and effectively unlock meaningful access for all. I work on collaborative approaches to Open Data standards for describing Internet infrastructure. My current focus is on terrestrial fiber optic networks. I have been actively maintaining public maps of Africa's undersea and terrestrial fiber optic infrastructure since 2009. Over the years, I have played several roles in developing affordable Internet. I have worked with regulatory authorities to develop new regulations to empower locally owned and managed Internet infrastructure. I was the founder of Village Telco, a social enterprise that manufactured low-cost WiFi mesh VoIP technologies to deliver affordable voice and Internet service in under-serviced areas. Before that, I worked at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), where I led the organization's ICTs for Development program in Africa, funding research into the transformational potential of ICTs. Outside of work, Aikido and home renovation are two things that help to keep my life in balance.

John Sweeting

American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)

Kevin Walsh

Netskrt

Kevin Walsh has a long and successful track record as the principal marketing executive at a series of B2B technology startups. These include IPOs with Xylan (purchased by Alcatel), Accelerated Networks, Calix, and Cyan (purchased by Ciena). Kevin was president and COO of Irvine Networks and Interim CEO at Bsquare, a publicly traded software and services company in the IoT and AI space. Kevin received a BS in Computer Science from the University of California, Irvine. He received an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Jon Worley

American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)

David Zumwalt

WISPA - Broadband Without Boundaries


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Phone: 705 = 706 = 0233
Email: info@canwisp.ca

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