Robert Francis Email & Phone Number

Selby, England, United Kingdom

Subject Matter Expert for Radio Communications.Pinnacle to the delivery of Radio system upgrade adding resilience to an aging system.Carried out market research into potential technologies and presented to senior managers.Engaged with several suppliers and provided the technical component to the Request for Quote.Oversaw the successful delivery of a new Radio System ensuring that suppliers and other areas of Drax delivered their workstreams on time which was instrumental to the Radio Project being delivered on time in a tight timeline.Project managing several enhancements to the radio system.Completed feasibility study into the use of a private 5G network.Awarded a One Drax Award for making an outstanding contribution to Drax’s success in 2022, going far beyond what is expected.

Global

19 years’ international experience managing all aspects of radio network planning, design and optimisation in line with deadlines for companies, including Vodafone, Ericsson, Nokia and Huawei in Switzerland, Canada, the Netherlands, UK, Spain, Denmark and Egypt. Called upon expertise spanning radio cell troubleshooting and optimisation, capacity analysis and performance analysis while acting as a trusted adviser in delivering technical support to construction companies.

Preston Brook, Cheshire, United Kingdom

Enhanced network performance Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) having utilised parameter and physical optimisation techniques and management of all associated administration.Commissioned and analysed drive trials while scrutinising network statistics to identify areas of coverage deficiency, dropped calls and setup failures before implementing corrective action.Neighbour cell planning and optimisation.Tactfully and diplomatically resolved concerns and complaints.Managed data build using O2’s in-house Integrated Planning and Data-build (IPD) software.Project managed production of an Excel VBA application to effectively align Atoll tilts with RET tilts.

Uk

Vodafone 900MHz refarming project:Performance analysis of GSM 900 AND UMTS 900.Trouble shooting and Optimisation of worse performing cells.Traffic analysis.Neighbour cell planning and optimisation.

Lausanne, Switzerland

Huawei 2G GSM 900 & DCS 1800, 3G UMTS 900 & 2100 and 4G LTE 800 & 1800 technology.I was brought in to help with a very ambitious upgrade program and was part of the team that successfully delivered on this target on time before the start of the annual P3 Connect test.

Manchester, United Kingdom

Huawei 2G GSM 900 & DCS 1800, 3G UMTS 900 & 2100 and 4G LTE 800 technology.Working on the Vodafone / O2 Beacon upgrade program, which combines the best radio sites from both operators to achieve a better combined radio network and reducing the total number of radio sites required. The result of this is that Vodafone now has over 68% of the UK population covered by 4G.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Nokia 4G LTE 800 & 2600 technology.Tele2 successfully won one of the LTE licences in The Netherlands allowing them to rollout a brand new LTE network from scratch, picking and mixing sites from multi-site providers in order to keep the rollout costs to a minimum. I was the first radio consultant on this project and produced their first radio plan and later was part of the team that successfully deployed this network.

The Hague, The Netherlands

Ericsson 2G GSM 900 & DCS 1800 and 3G UMTS 2100 technology.I was brought into the radio optimisation department in order to supply radio data for integration of new sites, supervision and optimisation of new sites. As a senior consultant I successfully managed a work lord three times as large as other consultants with less experience.

Telus Office, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Huawei 4G LTE 1700 & 2100 technology.Working in Telus' Edmonton office, my first task was to produce a power point presentations for senior management including a competitor market survey and the national RF agenda for TELUS. I later produced the LTE radio plan collocating with existing sites and the detailed wiring diagrams used by the site engineers in order to correctly build the sites. In addition to this I provided technical support to construction companies. As we finished this project ahead of schedule, I moved on to become the liaison to smooth relations between the planning and operations departments.

Gran Canaria, Spain

Ericsson 2G GSM 900 & DCS 1800 and 3G UMTS 900 & 2100 technology.Post swap optimisation during the Motorola to Ericsson equipment swap on the Movistar network.

Aalborg, Denmark

Nokia 2G GSM 900 & DCS 1800 and 3G 2100 technology.Responsible for the GSM and UMTS Radio Network Rollout and initial optimisation in North part of Denmark. This is my favourite contract so far, I got on exceedingly well with the Danish and stayed here for over three years.

Cairo, Egypt

Ericsson 3G UMTS 2100 technologyRollout of the Etisalat 3G UMTS network.

Stein, Netherlands

Ericsson 2G GSM 900 & DCS 1800 and 3G UMTS 2100 technology.The rollout and development of the Vodafone NL network was out sourced to Ericsson on 1st April 2006. After which I moved over to the new organisation. I continued to carry out the same tasks as I did when I was employed by Vodafone.

Maastricht. Netherlands

Ericsson 2G GSM 900 & DCS 1800 and 3G UMTS 2100 technology.Responsible for the GSM and UMTS Radio Network Rollout in East part of The Netherlands. Vodafone NL was the first operator in the Netherlands to launch a UMTS network.

London, United Kingdom

Nokia 2G DCS 1800 and 3G UMTS 2100 technology.Responsible GSM and UMTS Radio Network rollout in Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire. I also provided expert evidence at planning appeals for the whole of the South East Region, where we were successful in appealing 15 out of 16 planning applications for new radio sites.

Newbury, Berkshire England

Provision of second line telephone technical support to Cognito’s customers. Cognito provided a Radio Network infrastructure and supply of a two-way pager that was used by mobile work forces such as maintenance engineers.

Newbury, Uk

Ericsson first generation TACS 900 and 2G GSM 900 technology.Team leader, new Radio Site Selection and Radio Prediction. As I was studying for my degree, I wanted to move into a more technical and challenging position, so I moved into the newly formed Software Modelling department. I was part of a team that produced what I believe was the first ever frequency planning software, which was adapted into a BSIC planning program and a neighbour planning program.

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire England

GCHQ is one of three British Intelligence and Security organisations involved in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and other serious crimes, as well as helping to ensure the safety of the Armed Forces. Assessment of Radio Frequency Interference to GCHQ out-stations, from other radio systems and industrial equipment, liaising with other Government and military departments.

Repair and Planned Maintenance of a wide variety of radio and radar equipment, including the repair of analogue and digital circuitry down to component level. Quickly advanced to become a non-commissioned officer at the earliest possible age of 21 and specialised as a maintainer operator on the Marconi 909 weapons guidance RADAR for the GWS30 Seadart system, which was a successful medium range Surface-to-Air missile system that helped to keep the ships of the Royal Navy safe.

Ba With Honours, Lower 2Nd Class, Mathematics And Technology

Activities and Societies: Mathematics, Introduction to Computing, The Digital Computer, Analogue and Digital Electronics, Instrumentation.

Seamanship

The Indefatigable was a school that prepared boys for a life at sea either in the Royal Navy or the Merchant Navy. Awarded the prise.

Btec Higher National Certificate, Engineering (Communications)