David Clarkson
About David Clarkson
David Clarkson serves as the Competition Policy Director for Telecommunications at Ofcom, where he has worked since 1999. He has extensive experience in telecommunications policy and has led significant initiatives to enhance fibre deployment in the UK.
Work at Ofcom
David Clarkson has been serving as the Competition Policy Director for Telecommunications at Ofcom since 1999. In this role, he has been instrumental in shaping competition policy within the telecommunications sector in the UK. He briefly held the position of Interim Group Director of Competition from November 2019 to September 2020, during which he managed a team of approximately 120 professionals. His leadership has contributed to significant regulatory initiatives aimed at enhancing competition and promoting investment in telecommunications infrastructure.
Education and Expertise
David Clarkson holds a BEng (Hons) in Electronics and Communications from the University of Surrey, where he studied from 1990 to 1993. He also completed his ONC, HNC, and HND in Electronics and Communications Engineering at Farnborough College of Technology from 1984 to 1990. Additionally, he earned a Postgraduate Degree in Competition Law & Economics from Nottingham Trent University in 2002. His educational background supports his extensive expertise in telecommunications and competition policy.
Background
Before joining Ofcom, David Clarkson worked as a Senior Research Engineer at the Royal Aerospace Establishment, now known as QinetiQ, from 1988 to 1996. Following this role, he served as a Sales Executive at Pulse Power and Measurement Ltd for a brief period in 1996-1997. His early career experiences in engineering and sales provided a foundation for his later work in telecommunications policy and regulation.
Achievements
David Clarkson has played a key role in the Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review, which was completed in March 2021. This initiative significantly accelerated the deployment of fibre networks across the UK. He has also developed strategic and regulatory approaches that have led to over 100 companies committing to invest tens of billions of pounds in UK fibre infrastructure. His contributions have been recognized through his participation as a senior representative and speaker at various national and international conferences.