Team
Rudolph J. Geist
Co-Founder, Chairman
Mr. Geist has over 15 years of experience focusing almost exclusively on FCC licensed 2.5 GHz spectrum, having been immersed in nearly every major legal, technical, business, and financial development in the modern 2.5 GHz spectrum industry throughout his career. A leader in the development of the 2.5 GHz industry during this time, Mr. Geist was Co-Founder, Director, President and General Counsel of SpectrumLink Networks, Inc., a wireless broadband company which through a transaction with Goldman Sachs Principal Investment Area initiated by Mr. Geist and SpectrumLink in 2001, was merged into and became Clearwire Holdings, Inc., a company acquired in 2003 by Craig McCaw that became Clearwire Corporation pursuant to a transaction also initiated and facilitated by Mr. Geist. In 2013, Sprint Corporation acquired a 100% interest in Clearwire after Clearwire deployed a nationwide 4G network on 2.5 GHz spectrum.
Prior to founding SpectrumLink, Mr. Geist was Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Director of O1 Communications, Inc., a California facilities-based telecommunications carrier. Mr. Geist is also Founder and Managing Partner of RJGLaw LLC, a telecommunications and technology firm engaged principally in the representation of clients in emerging telecommunications and technology, with a particular focus on the strategic development of the 2.5 GHz spectrum held by EBS spectrum holder clients. Mr. Geist’s comprehensive work in the EBS spectrum space has led to the direct generation of hundreds of millions of dollars in new value creation for his clients through obtaining new spectrum license grants and acquisitions and developing strategic opportunities relating to those assets, including managing one major client to become the largest EBS Licensee in the U.S. in growing its EBS license portfolio from 42 EBS licenses to 90 licenses in over 80 U.S. markets, and another in growing its 2.5 GHz holdings from zero to 45 markets.
Throughout his career, Mr. Geist has been a frequent speaker and lecturer at emerging telecommunications industry conferences and events, and has authored numerous articles in emerging telecommunications trade publications. He holds a Juris Doctorate from the Catholic University of America School of Law, Washington, D.C., with special certificate in communications law from its Institute for Communications Law Studies. Mr. Geist is also a graduate of Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, Magna Cum Laude, where he also received an Honors Inter-disciplinary degree in communications law (self designed), was a Dean's Scholar, and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.
Norman Liu
Co-Founder, Vice President
Mr. Liu is has spent more than the last 15 years engaged in the tactical, technical, licensing, management and regulatory aspects of the 2.5 GHz band. Mr. Liu has previously been lead licensing and regulatory officer of the largest EBS license holder in the U.S. and was vice president of regulatory affairs for a regional 2.5 GHz operator, where he handled all licensing and regulatory oversight functions. In these roles, Mr. Liu performed all license, lease, technical and engineering analysis functions as lead licensing and regulatory officer.
In one of his current roles, Mr. Liu is RJGLaw LLC's expert in charge of technical, licensing and regulatory issues for EBS clients where he maintains one of the leading comprehensive databases of 2.5 GHz spectrum in existence and oversees the development of RJGLaw LLC’s proprietary 2.5 GHz mapping software. Mr. Liu's experience helped him lead the substantial growth of EBS license portfolios for RJGLaw LLC clients through new spectrum licensing and acquisitions.
Gregory L. Rohde
Member, Advisor
Mr. Rohde is a technology entrepreneur and recognized expert in telecommunications, wireless, and public safety communications policy at the international level. He serves and has served on several corporate and non-profit boards and holds senior executive positions in some of the industry’s exciting start up wireless and spectrum companies. Rohde founded (2001) and also serves as the President of e-Copernicus – a telecommunications consulting firm providing broadband and telecommunications financing and business development services.
Rohde is the former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and the Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the telecommunications and information service policy agency of the United States government and manager of the federal radio magnetic spectrum. As the head of NTIA, he served as the principal advisor on telecommunications and information policies, domestic and international, to the President of the United States and was the lead voice of the Administration on matters before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and on international telecommunications and information service policy issues.
While at NTIA, Mr. Rohde was the Administration’s point person on efforts to close the “digital divide;” promote innovation and development of wireless technologies; and advance
pro-competitive international telecommunications policies in important areas such as Internet charging arrangements and privacy protection. Mr. Rohde spearheaded the Administration’s effort to implement the agreement on advanced wireless services. Mr. Rohde, working closely with Congress, doubled funding for the Technology Opportunities Program (TOP), a grant program which brings telecommunications and local organizations emphasizing cutting technologies to underserved populations and the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP), another federal grant program which funds digital broadcast conversion for non-commercial broadcasters. Mr. Rohde also established a strong record of enhancing national security and public safety needs related to spectrum use and promoting innovative wireless technologies.
Mr. Rohde’s public service career began in 1988 with U.S. Senator Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) for whom he worked for more than 10 years as chief policy advisor for all areas of jurisdiction under the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Mr. Rohde played a key role in major legislation such as the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Internet Tax Freedom Act, and the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999. Born in Pierre, South Dakota in 1961, Mr. Rohde graduated from North Dakota State University in 1985 with a B.S. in Education with Sociology and Philosophy majors. He holds a graduate degree in Theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where he graduated in 1988. He was inducted into the North Dakota State Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Bismarck Century High School Hall of Fame in 2006.