Andras Somogyi

He began his career in 1958 at the ORION Radio and Electricity Company as a television development engineer. In 1963, during the reorganization of the industry, the factory changed its profile and he began to deal with microwave radio relay equipment. From 1967, he was the head of the analog microwave development department of ORION, then from 1975, the head of the microwave department, and then chief engineer. In 1977, the 8 GHz microwave communication system of the first Hungarian satellite relay chain was developed under his leadership. Between 1967 and 1991, he was a part-time assistant professor at the Department of Wireless Communications of the Budapest University of Technology (BME). In 1991, he retired as the chief development engineer of ORION.

In 1991, he founded his own consulting company, which dealt with the design and foreign trade of communication networks. Between 1991 and 1998, he was the chief consultant of the ORION Radio and Electricity Company through his business.

In 1998, he became the Head of Department and then International Director of the International Directorate of the Hungarian Communications Authority (HíF), where his task was to coordinate the Authority's international relations and evaluate international communications technology, market and regulatory trends. Between 2001 and 2003, he was one of the arbitrators of the Communications Arbitration Board. In this capacity, his task was to conduct market analysis, develop and localize the principles of network contracts and reference offers, as well as dispute resolution. He played a significant role in the development of both communications acts (Hkt. and Eht.) and the related implementing regulations; in the creation of the principles of market analysis and the so-called reference offers (RIO, RUO) based on the EU communications framework regulation, and in the development of related procedures. Later, he was the chief advisor to the National Media and Communications Authority (NMHH) in the domestic use of international results and experiences related to EU communications regulation and market analysis.

He was a member of the editorial board of Hiradástechnika (1986-1990), then the columnist of the trade journal (1991-1997). He is the co-author of the Handbook of Information Technology Administration.

Awards: Excellent Employee; Excellent Inventor; Bronze Degree of the Order of Labor Merit (Hungarian State, 1978); HTE Silver Badge (Híradástechnikai Súdámányos Egyesület (HTE), 1992); HTE Gold Badge (HTE, 1998); HIF Presidential Award, "For Hungarian Communications" Award (Minister of Information Technology and Communications, 2004); Dr. Magyari Endre Award (NMHH, 2016).