David Simpson

Speaker Bio

David Simpson is a Professor at Virginia Tech, leading Wireless, Cybersecurity, Emerging Technologies and Risk Leadership graduate studies. He currently conducts research and is leading projects for 5G/6G Cybersecurity and AI Resiliency. This work includes the CHIPS Act Wireless Heart of America, HAPS, GSMA Foundry Counter-fraud Research and GSMANA/NHTSA Open API Gateway development for Public Safety. He serves on several U.S. Government spectrum planning committees and works with Federal, State and Local Agencies to support Public Safety Communications strategic planning.

He previously served as Chief of the Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau from 2013 to 2017. As Bureau Chief, he oversaw public safety, emergency management, communication resiliency, cybersecurity, and disaster preparedness activities for over 30,000 commercial companies in the telecommunications sector

Rear Admiral Simpson served in the U.S. Navy in leadership positions at sea and around the world. He was the Director of Navy Networks, Vice Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and Director of Communications and Information Services in Iraq. He had Space, Combat Systems, and Information Technology assignments in multiple countries around the world. He has served as a senior delegate to several ITU Conferences. RADM (ret.) Simpson is a graduate of USNA and earned a master's degree in systems technology (Space) from the Naval Postgraduate School.