Mr. Phipps brings more than 10 years of economic regulation experience to QSI, including experience as both a subject matter expert witness as well as an advisor to public utility commissioners and industry executives. Presently, Mr. Phipps provides QSI’s clients analysis, research and support on negotiations/arbitrations related to network interconnection and access to network elements, costs and rates of telecommunications services, business case analyses, auditing, and external affairs. Mr. Phipps is also lead author of many of QSI’s responses to requests for proposals (RFPs), and his responses have been successful in winning numerous QSI contracts with state public utility commissions and other state agencies.

Mr. Phipps served as a Policy Advisor to an Illinois Commerce Commissioner (2000-2003), during which time he provided expert advice and analysis on policy and procedural matters related to the regulation of the public utilities and transportation industries – specializing in telecommunications. In his role as Policy Advisor, Mr. Phipps became actively involved in the regulatory decision-making process and worked with Illinois Commerce Commissioners, members of the Illinois General Assembly, and industry executives to establish and direct Illinois telecommunications regulatory policy. Mr. Phipps also served as a Rate Analyst in the Telecommunications Division of the Illinois Commerce Commission (1997-2000). In that position, he provided expert witness testimony on forward-looking economic costs and rates, telecommunications mergers, alternative regulation plans, carrier certification, and reciprocal compensation. He also analyzed telecommunications cost models/studies, tariffs and contracts and provided recommendations to the Commission for action. During this time, Mr. Phipps also led projects to develop a uniform format for cost studies to increase their auditability and transparency, and to redesign the telecommunications carrier certification criteria to streamline the certification process, lower competitive barriers to entry, and educate prospective competitive telecommunications carriers on the financial, technical and managerial resources required for certification. Mr. Phipps has testified before the Illinois General Assembly – Telecommunications Subcommittee on the 2001 rewrite of the Illinois Public Utilities Act (telecommunications law under Article XIII), and wrote correspondence on behalf of the Illinois Commerce Commission to the United States of Representatives on unbundling issues related to next generation telecommunications networks.

Mr. Phipps holds a M.A. in Economics from the University of Illinois and a B.S. in Economics from Illinois College.