As we prepare to close our (new) office door for the last time in 2021, I would like to thank all our clients, consultants, partner agencies and friends for making this another great year for PIP, despite the challenges we’ve all faced due to the continuing effects of the global pandemic. The inability to travel and have face to face engagements has underlined the importance of two elements that are the essence of what our company is about. Firstly, the digital technologies that enable our virtual engagements with regulators and policymakers, facilitating knowledge sharing on innovative and emerging connectivity solutions including Wi-Fi enabled technologies, spectrum sharing and space-based connectivity. These technologies are so critical to help alleviate the effects of the pandemic and connect previously unconnected communities; we are genuinely proud to work with the companies and organisations promoting them. Secondly, the trusted relationships between PIP and our clients, consultants and the regulatory community, means that together, despite the challenges, we can still keep the regulatory and policy agenda moving forward.
2021 has been a special year for PIP as we’ve become established partners to our existing clients, firmly positioning us as an expert global consultancy in digital connectivity and spectrum policy. We’ve also ventured into new areas including development funded work, trade associations and space connectivity. None of this existing or new work would have been possible without the strong network of associates that operate as part of the PIP platform. A number of them have been with PIP since the beginning but 2021 also saw the addition of some new members. We further strengthened the PIP Africa team through two new collaborations. Mr Abdoulkarim Soumaila, the former African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Secretary General, based in Niger, supports our work in Francophone African countries and we have also welcomed telecommunications and space technology specialist Mr Olivier Gihana who is leading our connectivity policy work in Rwanda. We’ve also agreed collaborations with two agencies to enhance the range of services and geographies that we are able to cover. In Asia -Pacific, our collaboration with ICT policy consultancy TT-Tel, founded by Arnold PH Djwatampu, former Director at the ITU is already helping to support clients on digital policy issues in the region. In Europe, our recent collaboration with Whitehouse Communications has strengthened our public affairs offering in Brussels and Europe and media engagement capabilities globally. In our journey so far we’ve always been fortunate to find dedicated experts that are also just great people to work with and these recent collaborations are no different. I’m really looking forward to what is to come in 2022.
Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year.