CEO of Telefonica UK joins e-skills UK Board

[library asset=2048]In Q2 2011, mobile voice and data services generated around £3.7bn, with almost half of UK internet users accessing the web via mobile phone data connections.

With nearly 400 million people predicted to be using mobile devices for enterprise applications by 2012, according to research from e-skills UK, the convergence of communications and IT is a major issue for businesses in the UK.

Phil Smith, CEO Cisco UK & Ireland and Chair of e-skills UK IT & Telecoms Board said:
‘We are very pleased to welcome Ronan Dunne to the e-skills UK IT and Telecoms board.
Mobile IT devices play an ever more significant role in business. e-skills UK research shows we can expect an increase in demand for people with the right skills to develop and support new methods of communication.

Ronan’s knowledge and experience in this field will be an invaluable contribution to our work on behalf of the UK’s IT and Telecoms industry.’

Ronan Dunne said: ‘I am delighted to work with e-skills UK to support the telecoms industry and technology-enabled growth right across the economy. Skills are a top priority for all businesses today, with the fast moving mobile arena being a particular driver for change.

Here at O2 we are encouraging all of our employees to help young people succeed with our ‘Think Big’ initiative. We welcome young people from many backgrounds in to our business because they are a spur to creativity and fresh thinking. I look forward to working with e-skills UK to help equip young people with the skills that will support innovation, competitiveness and economic growth in the UK.’

O2 is the second largest mobile network operator in the UK, serving around 23 million customers, and employing over 10,000 people. O2 recently announced a 9 month trial of a 4G LTE network in London. This will bring super-fast mobile broadband to business and consumers at speeds of up to 100Mbps, comparable to fibre home broadband speeds.

Ronan joined O2 in 2001 and was appointed Chief Executive in December 2007.