Hossein joins as a Senior Analyst with experience in advanced optical wireless and Li-Fi research from the University of Cambridge, alongside wider experience in 5G, IoT and next-generation networks.
How does your prior work experience relate to this position?
My background sits at the intersection of wireless communications, optical wireless systems, and future network architectures. Before joining Real Wireless, I worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, where I contributed to advanced research on high-capacity optical wireless communication, non-terrestrial networks, and next generation wireless systems.
That experience is directly relevant to my role at Real Wireless because it combines deep technical understanding with system-level thinking, working on fundamental research and practical demonstrations. These projects required not only technical analysis but also the ability to translate complex technologies into practical deployment considerations.
At Real Wireless, I am looking forward to applying this experience to help clients understand emerging technologies, assess their commercial and operational impact, and make informed decisions about future connectivity strategies.
What do you see as the most significant challenges and opportunities facing the wireless industry today?
One of the most significant challenges facing the wireless industry is the changing competitive landscape. Satellite service providers, particularly those developing direct-to-device services, could challenge the traditional role of terrestrial mobile operators by reshaping expectations around coverage, resilience, roaming, and always available connectivity. At the same time, operators face a more difficult demand environment. Mobile data traffic is still growing, but growth rates are slowing, making it harder to justify continued investment in capacity, coverage, reliability, and energy efficiency. This means operators need to manage costs carefully, improve network efficiency, and create new sources of value ahead of the next wave of data hungry applications.
The opportunity is that operators are well positioned to move beyond connectivity. Their base stations, sites, spectrum assets, backhaul, and presence close to end users create a unique platform for edge computing and AI enabled services. By processing data closer to users, operators can support low latency applications, real time analytics, automation, and intelligent network optimisation, while enabling services across private networks, smart transport, emergency communications, and integrated terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.
What’s been your most successful/interesting project so far and why?
One of the most interesting areas I have worked on has been my contribution to UK 6G flagship projects, including REASON and TITAN. These projects brought together academia and industry to explore how future networks can become more intelligent, flexible, and capable of supporting different connectivity requirements. Within REASON, I contributed to the development of a platform for orchestrating multiple access technologies in next generation and beyond 5G/6G networks. This is an important step towards future networking, where radio, optical wireless, fibre, satellite, and other access technologies may need to work together intelligently rather than operate in isolation.
I found this work particularly rewarding because it addressed a real strategic challenge for the wireless industry: how to build networks that are not only faster, but also more adaptive, resilient, and efficient. It also showed how the UK can make a strong contribution to future network architectures by combining research excellence with practical system level innovation.
What’s your vision for how wireless technology will benefit users, businesses, and economies in the next five years?
Over the next five years, I expect wireless technology to become more deeply integrated with AI, edge computing, and cloud infrastructure. For users, this should mean more reliable connectivity, better coverage, lower latency, and more intelligent services that respond in real time. For businesses, wireless networks will increasingly support automation, real time monitoring, private networks, remote operations, and data driven decision making.
A major development will be AI at the edge, where data is processed closer to users and devices rather than relying only on centralised cloud infrastructure. This can enable faster, more secure, and more efficient services across sectors such as manufacturing, transport, logistics, and energy. We are already seeing early signs of this direction through partnerships between major AI companies, cloud providers, telecom vendors, and operators. This is a positive signal for the industry, because telecom networks have the sites, connectivity, and proximity to users needed to support distributed AI services at scale.
At the economic level, wireless technology will continue to support productivity, innovation, and digital inclusion. The strongest impact will come when connectivity, AI, and edge infrastructure work together to enable new services, improve operational efficiency, and create more resilient and sustainable digital economies
What advice would you give to somebody at the start of their career and thinking about going into the wireless industry?
My advice would be to build strong fundamentals first. A good understanding of communication theory, radio propagation, network architecture, and data analysis will remain valuable even as technologies evolve. It is also important to stay curious about emerging areas such as AI enabled networks, non-terrestrial networks, private wireless, optical wireless communication and edge computing. I would also encourage early career professionals to develop both technical depth and the ability to communicate clearly. The wireless industry needs people who can understand complex systems, but also explain their impact to non-specialist audiences, clients, regulators, and business leaders.
Finally, I would say that wireless is a very exciting field because it constantly evolves. It connects engineering, economics, policy, sustainability, and social impact. For anyone who enjoys solving practical problems with advanced technology, it is a highly rewarding career path.
