Vern Fotheringham is an internationally recognized leader and successful entrepreneur in the wireless broadband communication industry. Throughout his career he has been a catalyst for innovation and change in telecommunications through numerous direct entrepreneurial activities: acting as advisor on many successful projects for major service providers, system vendors, software application developers and Internet service companies; as a public policy and regulatory advocate for the creation of new telecommunications services, FCC rules and IEEE standards; and, as an inventor and creator of new and innovative products and services.
Previously, Vern was President and CEO of ADAPTIX, a world leader in the development of next-generation broadband wireless system technology. ADAPTIX pioneered and secured global patent protection for the core technology of the IEEE.802.16e standard that is now embedded in Mobile WiMAX and LTE technologies. At ADAPTIX, he raised $44 million to fund the company post-acquisition of the Broadstorm assets. Beforehand, Vern served as President and CEO of Broadstorm, the pioneering OFDMA technology development company.
Earlier, Vern served as CEO and Chairman of Bazillion, a national VoIP service provider. At Bazillion, he was involved in raising $67 million to build the first national VoIP network providing toll quality voice services. In addition, Vern served as Founder, CEO and Chairman of Advanced Radio Telecom (ART), a publicly traded wireless Internet Service Provider and CLEC. ART held broadband radio spectrum licenses for 207 major markets in the U.S. and five countries in Europe. At ART, he was responsible for raising $225 million in the company’s NASDAQ initial public offering and subsequent public debt financings.
Vern also serves as a Principal in V. Fotheringham and Associates. In this capacity he has provided management consulting services to several large technology companies, including Intelsat General Corp. and, as Acting Chief Technical Officer, Nextlink Wireless.
Highlights of his career activities include direct participation in the development and international expansion of the cellular telephone industry on four continents; the creation and development of the mobile satellite and satellite audio broadcasting industry with Omninet (now Qualcomm), AMSC (now SkyTerra) and Norcom Networks (now Wireless Matrix); spearheading nationwide air-to-ground communication services with Claircom (now AT&T Mobility); winning the first GSM license in Hong Kong for SmarTone; pioneering digital satellite broadcasting as Founder of Digital Satellite Broadcasting Corporation; and, founding the millimetric microwave industry with the creation of both ART, as a service provider, and WaveTrace (now Harris), a the pioneering point-to-multipoint microwave equipment manufacture.
