A telecommunications consultant and academic who helped set up the framework for the National Broadband Network will contest the Adelaide Hills seat of Mayo for Labor at the upcoming July by-election.
Reg Coutts has been involved in the telco sector for more than 35 years, and was professor of telecommunications at the University of Adelaide from 1993 to 2003.
The emeritus professor currently runs his own consultancy firm Coutts Communications and has held technical positions at Telstra.
In 2008, Mr Coutts was appointed by then Communications Minister Stephen Conroy as one of six members of the Federal Government's expert panel on the NBN.
In 2010, he joined the Australian Communications and Media Authority but he quit that post in 2014 to re-enter the private sector.
Mr Coutts has been outspoken about issues affecting the industry, including the reliability of metadata when cited as evidence in court cases.
He will stand against the Centre Alliance's Rebekha Sharkie, Liberal Georgina Downer and Greens candidate Major 'Moogy' Sumner.
Both Ms Sharkie and Ms Downer have been campaigning in recent days, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull flying in to provide support for the Liberal candidate.
The by-election will be one of five held across the country on July 28.
