Sanzo, who has almost 30 years’ experience in the wireless sector, will oversee network deployment and operations. He will also serve as chief network officer of Rivada Mercury, the company formed by Rivada and its partners to bid for the contract to build, operate, maintain and sustain the nationwide public-safety broadband network for FirstNet.
Rivada’s open access wireless marketplace allows bandwidth to be bought, sold, and traded at the wholesale level, lowering barriers to entry into wireless and ensuring that no mobile network capacity is wasted. Rivada’s efficient, transparent approach is made possible by the company’s patented dynamic spectrum arbitrage (DSA) technology, which allows buyers to acquire wireless bandwidth for a specific period of time in a specific location.
“We are very pleased that Joe has joined us. Joe is somebody of immense stature in the wireless industry, whose long career and record of achievement speaks for itself. As we prepare ourselves for the historic task of building America’s first dedicated, purpose-built, and secure public safety wireless network, we are very happy to have Joe on our team,” said Declan Ganley, Executive chairman and co-CEO of Rivada Networks.
Sanzo joins from SAC Wireless, where he has spent 10 years serving as its CTO. He began his career with NASA and served as managing VP at Lucent Technologies. He has led the deployment and operation of networks Australia, China, Saudi Arabia, and the US.
“Rivada’s vision for a wholesale network that turns mobile spectrum bandwidth into a tradable commodity will, I believe, transform the telecommunications industry as we know it today,” said Sanzo.
“The situation today, which sees demand increasing exponentially, requires new solutions, and what Rivada has pioneered is visionary. I am excited to be part of what I believe will be a defining chapter in the evolution of the wireless space.”
Rivada also announced the appointment of its long-serving CTO, Clint Smith, as chief scientist.
