In this new ongoing series, the WBA will be featuring interviews with the distinguished members of our Board of Directors. These interviews will contain answers to questions about a variety of topics, including the WBA’s many initiatives, the state of the ecosystem, and much more.

For this installment, we sat down with Dr. Derek Peterson, Chief Technology Officer at Boingo Wireless. Dr. Peterson took the time to share his thoughts on the WBA’s many projects/initiatives, and also discussed the importance of the upcoming Wireless Global Congress and World Wi-Fi Day.

In your opinion, what is the importance of Wi-Fi in addressing the ‘digital divide’ in terms of making a positive social and economic impact throughout the ecosystem? How can World Wi-Fi Day play a key role in this?

First, it’s important to recognize that Wi-Fi and other network technologies have various strengths and weaknesses. One of the great things about Wi-Fi is the simplicity of setting up a network, as well as the cost benefits of setting up access points. Typically it’s much cheaper to set up a Wi-Fi network than installing and managing licensed spectrum or other technologies. This is why Wi-Fi is ideal for setting up connectivity in rural areas and other places where there was little or no connectivity previously. In addition to that, when you’re inside buildings and venues, you can often struggle to achieve strong connectivity, and setting it up can be very expensive. Wi-Fi is a bit less intrusive than other methods, and can bring additional capacity and coverage that might be needed in those locations.

With World Wi-Fi Day, the idea is to get people talking about what we’ve been able to accomplish with Wi-Fi and share the opportunities that it’s created. It’s about addressing the digital divide that not only exists in many countries around the world, but also in our homes and businesses. It’s a very positive thing.

What do you think is the significance of the WBA’s Wireless Global Congress taking place as part of the 2016 International Festival for Business in Liverpool? Why is it an important event for WBA members to attend?

In 2015, the WBA announced its Vision 2020 initiative, and we’ve recognized that there are physical and digital business changes taking place. We can no longer say that there is only one business method or approach that will effectively bridge the gap between the business and digital world, and being part of an event like the International Festival for Business will help our organization continue to evolve and grow.

Because of this, the Wireless Global Congress is a very important event for our members to attend. We have a lot of great stuff planned, from sessions focusing on Connected Cities, to talks about the convergence of licensed and unlicensed spectrum, to exploring the various wireless innovations that will be coming out in the near future.

As we look ahead towards 2020, what role do you feel that the WBA can play in the continued evolution of the ecosystem? What key organizational activities stand out to you?

There are several organizations that focus on providing technical and business direction to licensed spectrum-related activities. The WBA, in its forward thinking, focuses on overall wireless infrastructure that allows us to bring business and technology together for the good of cities and businesses worldwide.

Our Unlicensed Meets Licensed program has been evolving at a very fast rate, and this is expected to continue as we see these two types of technologies and networks get closer to merging. The Connected City program has never been more important, as cities around the world are looking at ways to improve their infrastructures through the use of technology and data. And our Public Advocacy program is absolutely essential, because people need to understand the importance of security and legal protocols across networks.

We have a lot to tackle on the road to 2020, and I think that the WBA is the right organization to do it.

For more information about Boingo Wireless, visit the company’s website.