The call for entries to the WBA Wi-Fi Industry Awards is officially underway! Entries have already begun to roll in, and the WBA is truly looking forward to hosting the awards during the Wi-Fi Global Congress in San Jose on 14th October, 2015. The Awards will recognize the many great innovations that have emerged in the Wi-Fi industry over the last 12 months, with categories focusing on the best service, devices, and technologies, among others. This is a very exciting time for the Wi-Fi industry – as we set out on the roadmap to 2020, it’s important to celebrate the remarkable progress and evolution that the Carrier Wi-Fi ecosystem continues to see.
This is our fourth annual Awards gala, and we’re very excited for what is sure to be our biggest and best celebration yet. Once again, we’re happy to welcome back our panel of judges, which is comprised of several distinguished analysts and experts who bring a wealth of experience to the judging process:
- Caroline Gabriel (Maravedis-Rethink Technology Research)
- Daryl Schoolar (Ovum)
- Ken Rehbehn (Yankee Group)
- Peter Jarich (Current Analysis)
- Joe Madden (Mobile Experts)
- Chris Nicoll (Analysys Mason)
Last year’s winners were selected from a very high caliber group of entries that came from all around the world, and from all corners of the Wi-Fi ecosystem. When the dust settled, here were the winners in each category:
- Best Next Generation Hotspot: SK Telecom – NGH Deployment and Innovative Solutions by SK Telecom
- Best Wi-Fi Service Innovation Award: Fon – Gramofon: Social Music + Social Wi-Fi
- Best Wi-Fi Technology Innovation Award: Qualcomm – Qualcomm® VIVETM with Multi User MIMO
- Most Innovative Hotspot Venue Award: Fira de Barcelona and Cisco – Fira de Barcelona and Cisco Deliver One of the World’s Largest Carrier-Grade Wi Fi Networks to 85,000 Mobile World Congress Attendees
- Best Next Generation Wi-Fi Device/Application Award: Syniverse and Samsung – Syniverse and Samsung deliver a first-of-its-kind Wi-Fi Roaming Solution in Indonesia
- Best New Venture Award: Mimosa
- WBA Chairman’s Award – Operator Category: Orange
- WBA Chairman’s Award – Technology Partner Category: BSG Wireless
Cedric Gonin of Orange accepts the WBA Chairman’s Award – Operator Category
Two of our esteemed judges had this to say about last year’s winners, and what attendees can expect from the 2015 Awards:
Peter Jarich, VP of Consumer and Infrastructure at Current Analysis: “Last year, the Wi-Fi Industry Awards did a great job of capturing the state of the Wi-Fi industry and Service Provider Wi-Fi innovation. From NGH momentum and new carrier business models, to technology advancements and deployment initiatives supporting global roaming as well as global trade shows, the winners truly represented a view into how Wi-Fi was benefitting carriers and consumers. If this year follows suit, the nominees and winners should provide solid insights into the latest service provider Wi-Fi trends and strategies including progress with NGH, roaming, Voice over Wi-Fi, and ever more engaging Wi-Fi business models.”
Joe Madden, Principal Analyst, Wireless, Mobile Experts LLC: “The WBA Wi-Fi Industry Awards are a good chance for the industry to celebrate some great innovations which are pushing technology forward. In 2014, creative services from SK Telecom and FON are good examples of the type of clever, novel ideas that make Wi-Fi technology indispensable in everyday life. I’m excited to be a part of the 2015 awards process, because it’s a great chance to look at the inner workings of new Wi-Fi service innovations.”
The WBA Wi-Fi Industry Awards are just one more reason why you need to come to San Jose for the Wi-Fi Global Congress – this is an evening, and an event, that you truly won’t want to miss!
The deadline for WBA Wi-Fi Industry Awards entries is 17th August, 2015. To submit your entry, please visit https://wballiance.com/awards
