Richard Thwaites
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| Country: | Australia |
| Email: | richard.thwaites [at] ties.itu.int |
Richard Thwaites is Director of Rich Communications, a consultancy based in Canberra, Australia that specializes in policy issues associated with international communications. Richard was nominated by the ITU and the Technical Liaison Group as liaison to the ICANN Board in 2005.
Career History
Richard has been working with communication policy in broadcasting, telecommunication, and on the Internet since 1988; much of that time has been spent advising or negotiating for the Australian Government. From 1994 to 2002 he participated in WTO negotiations, The International Telecommunication Union, Asia-Pacific regional meetings, and the OECD. In 1996, Mr. Thwaites was Chairman of an ITU working group; in 2000 he became Chairman of the APEC Tel Working Group.[1] He has worked on issues related to International tariffs and standards between telecommunication companies and governments;[2] and for 8 years he was in charge of Australia's policy at an international level.[3]
Mr. Thwaites has worked on creating uniform industry standards o accommodate the transition from line-switched to packet-switched service platforms as the Chairman of the ITU Standardization Sectors Study Group. At the ITU's World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly in 2004, Richard chaired the committee producing standard practices among the 179 member nations.[4]
Fun Fact
Mr. Thwaites started his career as a foreign journalist; spending 5 years in China, and time elsewhere as well. He wrote a book on China, "Real Life China", published in 1985 by Collins.[5]