Name:Robert Pepper
TitleCompany:Founder and CEO, River Valley Advisory, USA
Bio:Robert Pepper is a globally recognized expert on connectivity, network and digital infrastructure technology policy. He is a Senior Fellow at the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership and most recently led Meta’s global connectivity policy and planning activities focusing on new technology development, trends, deployment, and adoption of connectivity infrastructure, including subsea, terrestrial networks, and related infra. Pepper previously was Cisco’s VP for Global Technology Policy for more than a decade working with governments globally helping them develop digital strategies. He was Chief of the Office of Plans and Policy and Chief of Policy Development at the FCC for 16 years where he led teams designing and implementing the first U.S. spectrum auctions, developing policies promoting the development of Internet infrastructure and policy, and implementing telecommunications legislation. His academic appointments included faculty positions at the Universities of Iowa, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, and as a research affiliate at Harvard University. He is a member of PTC's Board of Governors and a member of UK’s Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board. Pepper received his BA and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.