Suella Hansen – Director and Founder

Suella has been active in network economics over the past 20 years, working in numerous regulatory regimes across the globe. With a PhD in economics from the University of Cambridge, she has extensive experience in examining the regulatory, financial and economic aspects of the ICT industry. Prior to founding Network Strategies in 1997, Suella was Co-Director of the Centre for Research in Network Economics and Communications at the University of Auckland.

Suella advises on a wide range of regulatory issues, including wholesale costing, market dominance, spectrum valuation, universal service, interconnection, accounting separation, and local loop unbundling. Suella has also advised policy-makers on the formulation and implementation of communications policies and regulations, including impact assessments and economic welfare analyses. Recently Suella has developed economic strategies to support fixed and mobile broadband market development, including models for ultra-fast fixed broadband deployment in New Zealand and quantitative research on the benefits of mobile broadband in Australia.

Suella has a particular interest in the development of ICT policies and strategies to support economic and social development. Examples of her work in this area include:

  • advice to the Chinese government on policy and regulatory change required as a consequence of China’s accession to the WTO
  • a review of technological capacity and market structures of Pacific Island countries, and recommendations for a Digital Strategy for the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat
  • expert telecommunications economist on the World Bank-funded team reforming the communications regulatory structure in Samoa
  • design of a strategy for universal access in Sri Lanka in order to increase rural fixed and mobile connectivity .

Suella was a Principal Consultant at a telecoms, media and technology company in the UK from 1989 to 1996. Before moving into network economics, Suella commenced her career as a Business Analyst at an international investment bank in London.

@s.hansen@strategies.nzl.com