Nick Kauser is an internationally recognized leader and visionary in the wireless and telecom industries. His career has spanned more than four decades, and as the chief technology officer for four major wireless carriers, he has been responsible for many pivotal decisions in the wireless revolution.
After an early stint with Marconi Wireless in Canada, Nick spent the first phase of his career in Venezuela. He worked for the National Telephone Co. (“CANTV”) and subsequently co-founded two companies in the communications industry.
In 1984 Nick was recruited by Cantel (now Rogers Wireless), the newly-licensed Canadian cellular carrier based in Toronto. He served as Vice President of Engineering and subsequently Senior Vice President of Operations, building out the first nationwide cellular network in Canada when Cantel achieved coast-to-coast cellular coverage in 1989.
Nick also built the first nationwide network in the US after joining McCaw Cellular Communications in 1990. He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, and continued in this role after the merger with AT&T Wireless Services. Until his retirement in 1998, he oversaw all aspects of engineering and network operations, long-range planning and evolution of the wireless network. Nick was also responsible for Project Angel, the AT&T Wireless fixed wireless initiative.
In 2004, Nick helped launch Clearwire and served as Chief Technology Officer of Clearwire Inc., President of Clearwire International, and a Director of Clearwire, Inc. He has served on the boards of Cantel, XO Communications and RadioFrame Networks, and continues to serve on multiple boards, including TriQuint Semiconductor, Pendrell Corporation (Formerly ICO Global Holdings Communications, Inc.).
Nick obtained his electrical engineering degree from McGill University, Montreal, Canada in 1963 and has completed post graduate courses in Logic design and Random Noise and Signals. For his pioneering work in fixed wireless, he received the prestigious Gold Prize awarded by The Carnegie Melon Institute and American Management Systems for excellence in the application of information technology. He is presently a Partner in Eagle River Holdings. In 2011, Nick was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame at the awards dinner presentation in San Diego.