Foundation
Diffraction Analysis was co-founded by Benoît Felten, a recognized global expert in the Telecoms Industry and Tactis, a leading French technology policy consultancy. We bring together a great depth of expertise in industry dynamics, technology issues, successful network rejuvenation strategies and business modelling. Furthermore, Diffraction Analysis is solely owned by Tactis and Benoît Felten, thus guaranteeing our independence from any established player in the industry, be they vendor or service provider.
Diffraction Analysis’ Network of Experts
Deep as our knowledge may be, we recognize that nothing replaces first hand experience on certain areas of expertise and that is why we have recruited a number of experts around the world to provide us with incisive and insightful research related to their areas of expertise. Our pool of experts currently includes:
CEO and co-founder of Diffraction Analysis, Benoît Felten is a recognized expert on issues related to Next-Generation-Access. Felten’s expertise focuses on NGAN in terms of architecture, relevant vendor strategies as well as new service opportunities for ISPs, carriers, and MSOs. His analysis particularly emphasises the understanding of business models and go to market challenges related to next-generation broadband as well as the necessary transformation of the telco ecosystem needed to sustain the access revolution.
Before starting Diffraction Analysis, Felten was a Director of Access Network Research at Yankee Group where he led the company’s research efforts in the NGA field. Prior to Yankee Group, Felten was at Arcome, a French telecom consultancy and analysis firm where he managed and carried out numerous high-profile consultancy projects for operators and vendors in continental Europe and North Africa. Before joining Arcome, Felten was the SME Portfolio Manager at Belgacom France where he was responsible for their Fiber to the Office offers.
Felten lives in Paris. He complements his day job by blogging about the economic and social impacts of next generation access on Fiberevolution and tweets under the handle of @fiberguy.
Costas Troulos has been directly involved in the first open access FTTx deployment in Greece where he designed and oversaw constructions of several municipal open access networks across the country. His research focuses on NGA networks and electronic services delivery, contributing to the international debates surrounding (a) the challenges of traditional electronic services business models, and (b) the role of the public sector in supporting broadband infrastructures development, a topic highly visible in contemporary broadband development agendas.
Before joining Diffraction Analysis, Troulos worked as an independent business and strategy consultant for public institutions and private enterprises in IT and telecoms. Prior to that he was the Technical Director of Vivodi Telecommunications, a pioneer Greek broadband provider with a series of significant firsts, such as first full-unbundled DSL and first IP telephony service. Under this capacity he oversaw both the Technology and Information Offices of the company. Troulos started his career and a network engineer and for years he carried out complex and demanding network implementation projects, from small businesses to large organizations.
He is an Electrical and Computer engineer with an MBA in entrepreneurship from the Louisville University. He is also completing a PhD on public strategies for broadband development.
Troulos lives in Greece, blogs at Broadbandprime and tracks NGA developments with a particular interest in public intervention, telecoms regulation and socio-economic impacts of NGANs. He also tweets under the handle @ktroulos.
As one of the driving forces behind the development of the Amsterdam FttH project (Citynet) Herman Wagter is an expert on cooperation between local governments and the market in FttH deployments with hands-on experience into actual deployment of next-generation infrastructure. Wagter’s expertise lies in understanding architectural choices (topology and technology), the role of stakeholders (including local governments and home owners) in last mile deployment and the potential for new business models. His analysis emphasises short-term vs. long term trade-offs, scenarios and options in architectural choices, especially the often neglected dichotomy between topology and technology in the last mile.
Before joining Diffraction Analysis Wagter was Managing Director of “Glasvezelnet Amsterdam” (GNA) and Program Manager for the development of this Public Private Partnership. Prior to GNA Wagter was Managing Director at Yacht/Randstad (Professional services) and Stork (Engineering and Contracting).
On his blog Dadamotive Wagter likes to write on the difference between facts and spin in the telecom industry. He tweets under the handle @hermanwagter.
We are actively looking for more experts to collaborate with us and will update this page when our team expands.