Rahim Tafazolli

Founder and Director of 5G Innovation Centre & 6G Innovation Centre

Rahim Tafazolli is Regius Professor of Electronic Engineering and Professor of Mobile and Satellite Communications at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, and founder and director of the university's 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC), 6G Innovation Centre (6GIC) and Institute for Communication Systems (ICS). The 5G centre was established in 2012, and the 6G centre began in 2020 as the first UK centre dedicated to the technology. He has more than 30 years of experience in digital communications research and teaching and has published more than 1,000 research papers. He is a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering since September 2020, and a Fellow of the IEEE, the IET and the Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF). He received the Khwarizmi International Award in 2015 and the Outstanding Contribution to Industry award from the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals in 2023. In October 2023 the 5GIC connected a 5G core to a cell site through a low Earth orbit satellite constellation.