The WBA is proud to announce the shortlist for the Wi-Fi Industry Awards 2013. The awards recognize outstanding achievement by operators, vendors and device manufacturers within the industry. The awards are open to the whole industry and have attracted entries from vendors and operators across the world, encompassing the whole public Wi-Fi ecosystem.

They have been judged independently of the WBA by a panel of highly distinguished analysts and industry experts led by Guang Yang, Senior Analyst of Wireless Operator Strategies & Mobile Broadband Opportunities, Strategy Analytics. The winners will be announced at a gala awards dinner and networking event at the Wi-Fi Global Congress in Beijing taking place on the 18th-21st November 2013.

The shortlist for the Wi-Fi Industry Awards 2013 is as follows:

1. Best Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) Initiative Award

  • KT – Next Generation Hotspot by KT
  • Boingo Wireless – Boingo launches Next Generation Hotspot at Chicago O’Hare International Airport
  • CMCC & Cisco – CMCC marks a milestone with Next Generation Hotspot experience

2. Best Wi-Fi Service Innovation Award

  • KT – KT’s seamless interworking for LTE and Wi-Fi integrated networks
  • SK Telecom – Giga Wi-Fi service by SK Telecom
  • BT – Saving money, connecting to Wi-Fi with BT SmartTalk

3. Best Wi-Fi Technology Innovation Award

  • Ericsson – Real-Time Traffic Steering
  • Aptilo Networks – Aptilo Service Management Platform streamlining services for multiple devices
  • Ruckus Wireless – Ruckus SecureHotspot – smart Wi-Fi technology that automatically helps secure unprotected hotspots

4. Most Innovative Hotspot Venue Award

  • China Mobile Communications Corporation – WLAN in Poverty-Rural Areas
  • KT & Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs – KT’s Hotspot Island with Olleh Super Wi-Fi solutions
  • Arqiva – Delivering Wi-Fi that just works

5. Best Next Generation Wi-Fi Device/ Application Award

  • Xirrus – Xirrus AOS 6.5; applications, software and partnerships
  • WeFi Inc. – Enhanced User Experience is Everything
  • Fon – The new Fon era: a social Wi-Fi router

6. Best New Venture Award

  • BandwidthX – BandwidthX: Introducing a Wi-Fi Market
  • WiFast – WiFast: Reinventing Wi-Fi
  • Purple WiFi – Purple WiFi

The shortlist for the Chairman Awards is as follows:

Operator Category

  • China Mobile Communications Corporation (CMCC)
  • Orange

Technology Partner Category

  • Ruckus Wireless
  • BSG Wireless

“The quality and volume of entries received this year was of an extremely high standard and it was tough for the judging panel to select a shortlist. Carrier Wi-Fi is experiencing a boom in interest with a high level of innovation currently occurring in the industry. This was reflected in the high caliber of submissions this year and I look forward to congratulating the winners personally at the award giving ceremony in Beijing,” said Guang Yang, Senior Analyst for Strategy Analytics and Head Judge for the Wi-Fi Industry Awards 2013.