Mr. Stevens is a technology entrepenurer in the Internet and communication space; primarily wireless (Wi-Fi, WiMAX) and IP communications (voice, video, etc), as well as a focus on convergence. His specialties range from network engineering to financial spreadsheets, deployments to business plans – all with significant depth of knowledge.
Mr. Stevens efforts in lobbying Washington and working with the FCC are long and wide. Working with influential groups like WCA, PFF, and Part-15.org, as well as directly with folks like (former) FCC Chair Michael Powell and his commissioners lead to many favorable changes in spectrum, telecom, and Internet policy. The political landscape has changed as of recent, but some of the foundation laid prior to 2005 remains strong.
Over the years, Mr. Stevens has had the honor of speaking for groups and at various conferences such as; Wireless Communication Association International (WCAI), Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF), four-time returning at WISPCON, Telluride Technology Festival, and the FCC’s “Rural WISP Showcase”. Mr. Stevens recently spoke on Wireless and VoIP at the Internet Telephony Conference in San Diego.
Media interviews include a co-interview with Mr. Selby by The Wall Street Journal (2001), Christian Science Monitor (2004), San Jose Mercury News (2004), and recently in the High Country Business Review (2006). Mr. Stevens has also been featured on various local radio and Internet radio shows.
Scott’s historical bio can be found below.
Industries
Wireless (Wi-Fi/WiMAX)
Voice over IP (VoIP)
Specialties
Business Planning
Financial Outlook
RF Engineering
IP Engineering
Marketing / Sales
Legal Contracts
Public Speaking
Sales / Technical Training
Notable Accomplishments
World-record 74 mile high-capacity wireless data link
World-record 4.2 mile wireless link through a 600ft mountain
Assisted in the first ubiquitous Wi-Fi city network in the world
Consulted over 1000 WISPs in business and technology
Co-Founded the first nationwide broadband provider
Written winning RFP responses over major incumbents
History
Mr. Stevens became one of DISH’s early resellers in the late 90’s. In 2000 he moved to Denver and opened the doors on a fledgling industry – Wireless Broadband. Wi-Fi was in its infancy (wasn’t even called Wi-Fi yet) and he found more and more people across the USA and World taking this technology to broadband-starved rural markets, and deploying community-wide wireless broadband systems. Mr. Stevens assisted nearly 1000 of these upstart providers over the next four years.
The wireless distributor Mr. Stevens worked for went rapidly from its first million-dollar year in over 25 years to being one of the dominant distributors of wireless technology today, and are experiencing consecutive tens of million dollar years and was recently purchased by a large competing distributor. During his time Jim Selby who operated a WISP (Wireless ISP) in Aspen, Colorado invited Scott up to be co-interviewed with him by Pui-Wing Tam of The Wall Street Journal. The article was originally supposed to publish the week of September 11, 2001, but on December 7th came the first true realization of Wireless Broadband as something truly amazing.
Mr. Stevens was invited to Aspen in 2001 by Mr. Selby to build out the first major regional WISP. This lead to a new concept that was brought to realization by a team in Aspen known as National Broadband. NBB was to be the first nationwide wireless broadband provider, with a unique approach of delivering Tier-1 fiber bandwidth to Tier-2 and 3 markets wirelessly. With $28 Million in private investment and fiber rights spanning 18,000 miles across 38 states, this was an amazing and ambitious project in 2003. NBB was successful in deploying 10% of the overall network, including deploying a community-wide wireless and ubiquitous Wi-Fi system – before any metro/muni systems were ever conceived. Relationships with Intel, IBM, and Microsoft were forged during this venture.
In 2004, Mr. Stevens went back to his roots where he founded a wireless product distribution company, Defacto Wireless. Mr. Selby assisted him in this venture, launched with only starvation capital, and in only 6 months of sales activities grossed $1.4 Million in revenue. Defacto established relationships with industry leading companies like Orthogon (acquired by Motorola in 2006), Redline, Dragonwave, Aperto, and Senao. Additionally, Defacto also created a product line known as AirMatrix, featuring one of the industry’s first outdoor Wi-Fi mesh radios, now deployed in over 20 countries. At this time WiMAX standards were now being debated, and 802.16d-2004 was ratified.
In late 2005 Mr. Stevens sold his interest in Defacto to pursue other ventures in a rapidly growing market. Shortly thereafter he began a professional services firm in Portland, Oregon. With two of the largest and most prominent wireless/internet shows coming up, ISPCON and WiMAX World, his team worked fast and hard to launch the company from scratch in only 45-days. In front of audiences over 6,000 from over 50 countries in the world it was one of the busiest booths at both events.
During 2006 Mr. Stevens VoIP venture, WorldWorkz, was funded and is currently in the process of launching the service. This service is not a “me-too” VoIP play, but rather is uniquely target-marketed at various loyal groups and demographic meccas. Additionally, this service is not simply voice. WWZ adds many additional features and functions to this service, and have even more planned for the future. This one bets on SIP, not just VoIP.
Also during 2006, Mr. Stevens under Aspen Wireless Technologies was hired to write a response for a Municipal Wi-Fi project. This RFP response was written for Vail, Colorado on behalf of CenturyTel, Inc, the 8th largest telco in the nation. The combination of engineering, writing, and CenturyTel’s commitment won over competing bids by Earthlink/Google, AT&T/Siemens, and an agent of Qwest. The network is currently being deployed in Vail, and will include the nation’s first 100Mbps wireless service.
Please see his LinkedIn profile for additional information, or to join networks together. You may also download his vCard contact information at the top of this page.