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The World Communication Awards 2023 has seen its fiercest competition to date, with entries from across the world battling it out to be recognised as the best of the best. The black-tie gala evening was a great success, with senior executives from across the globe gathering in Amsterdam to see the winners named for the 25th annual World Communication Awards
A big thanks to all our award presenters, our generous sponsors and the excellent panel of judges, who spent the last number of months analysing entries for each of the categories.
Onto the awards!
B2B Service of the Year
Winner: Telia Company
“Simple to manage, scalable, and secure, the judges praised this entry as “an elegant spin on global network aggregation” that would help to “break down the barriers limiting IoT adoption”. Featuring excellent testimonials and an enormous number of customers from around the world, Telia’s Global IoT Connectivity solution is paving the way for a more vibrant and varied IoT landscape.”
The finalists were:
China Mobile International
Singtel
Freshwave and Three UK
Tata Communications Limited
MATRIXX Software
Best Digital Transformation Programme
Winner: PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel)
Aiming to take a leading role in Indonesia’s digital ecosystem, Telkomsel’s Indico project supports the way customers engage digitally with numerous vertical industries, including health services, education, and entertainment. Generating roughly $700,000 in revenue in its first year, this is a project with huge potential for growth and societal change. “This is a great example of how a company’s clear vision and unwavering dedication to drive positive change not only impacts the telecommunications industry but also Indonesia’s society.”
The finalists were:
VEON
Netcracker Technology
Viettel group
Verizon Communications Inc.
Telekom Research & Development Sdn Bhd
Best Network Transformation Initiative
Winner: Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison
A great example of a merger done right, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison’s work to harmonise its two networks has been lightning fast and highly effective, despite the nation’s challenging geography. “This network integration project overcame incompatible technologies, conflicting cultures, and legal obstacles to successfully integrate 43,000 sites while decommissioning 17,000 overlapping coverage sites – all finished 12 months ahead of schedule. Very impressive.”
The finalists were:
Cohere Technologies, Intel, Mavenir, Juniper and VMware
EXFO and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET)
Jio Platform Limited
stc
Telstra International
Best Operator in an Emerging Market
Winner: Digicel Group
Here is an example of an operator going above and beyond for its customers, not only providing infrastructure and connectivity, but also supporting education, mobile banking, and community projects. In a country facing a myriad of challenges, Digicel is a force for good and societal change in Haiti. “Adapted to one of the most difficult markets in the Western world, Digicel clearly has a great focus on empowering consumers and giving back to the community they serve.”
The finalists were:
Highly Commended: Lightstorm
PLDT & Smart
Kacific Broadband Satellites Ltd
Best Wholesale Operator
Winner: Orange Wholesale
Orange Wholesale is one of the few established players offering stable, secure, and scalable connectivity across the whole value range, continuing to grow organically by expanding its product portfolio with innovative new solutions, and setting and meeting ambitious Corporate Social Responsibility goals.
“A compelling pitch showing true industry leadership.”
The finalists were:
Arelion
Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier
Bayobab, Formerly MTN GlobalConnect
Sparkle
EXA Infrastructure
Crisis Response Award
Winner: VEON
VEON demonstrated a three-pronged approach to providing services during natural and man-made disasters, focussing on network resilience, the implementation of early warning apps, and the provision of humanitarian aid to assist victims. Doing amazing work in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and, of course, throughout the war in Ukraine, VEON has been exemplary when it comes to supporting customers in a crisis. “A comprehensive approach to some of the most difficult operating environments on Earth, sometimes making a life-or-death difference for their customers.”
The finalists were:
easypaisa and Ericsson
KT
PLDT & Smart
Altice Portugal
Operator of the Year
Winner: KT
Demonstrating tremendous growth, an exceptional 5G standalone rollout, and innovative offerings including AI-based call centres and Assistant Robots for small businesses, KT continues to go from strength to strength. “A digital and 5G juggernaut, KT has never stopped innovating and is setting a great example for other telcos.”
The finalists were:
Colt Technology Services
China Mobile International
China Unicom Global
SK Telecom
Viettel Timor Unipessoal Lda., Telemor
The 5G Award
Winner: Singtel & Ericsson
Working in collaboration with Ericsson, Singtel has not only demonstrated the effective use of network slicing in a live 5G standalone network, but shown an effective route to monetisation. With telcos around the world struggling to make a significant return on their 5G investment, Singtel is leading the way in showing that 5G can still live up to the hype. “Some great examples of innovative 5G network slicing with proven monetisation, such as for the Singapore F1 2022 the 20222 World Cup.”
Highly Commended: KT
The finalists were:
Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier
Jio Platform Limited (JPL)
Altice Portugal
China Mobile International
People & Culture Award
Winner: Moldcell
This is a company that continues to invest in its staffs’ mental and physical health through a comprehensive wellness programme, as well as providing training and development opportunities that ensure that employees stay up to date with the latest industry trends and technologies. From promoting teambuilding to fostering innovation, Moldcell’s holistic approach to company culture has created a great place to work. “Moldcell showed exceptional devotion to the development and well-being of their employees, creating a positive work environment where employees can thrive.”
The finalists were:
Viettel Group
EXA Infrastructure
Telin
Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier
The Access Innovation Award
Winner: Telstra & Ericsson
Telstra has achieved a number of significant technical milestones this year, including completing a 100km long-range 5G data call on a mid-band Advanced Antenna System (AAS) radio, deploying network slicing at a construction site, and the dynamic spectrum sharing of 4G, 5G, LTE, and Narrowband IoT. “A clever use of technology and collaboration to achieve massive range gains in the Outback.”
The finalists were:
ZTE Corporation
SK Telecom
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Bahrain Network (BNET)
The Beyond Connectivity Award
Winner: MTN and Ericsson
MTN has opened up its Mobile Money (MoMo) service with the launch of its MoMo Open API platform and portal, allowing third-party developers to thoroughly test applications before going live. With over 24,000+ developers experimenting with Open APIs in the platform’s Sandbox and 1,600+ partners in live production, this is one of the leading Open API financial technology platforms in Africa, with the potential to have a major impact on MoMo’s 69 million active users. “This truly goes ‘beyond connectivity’ and includes fantastic application examples. Mobile Money platforms like this can be lifechanging on the African continent.”
The finalists were:
Torry Harris Integration Solutions & TIGO
Tanzania
Bridge Alliance
WIOCC Group
Telin
Eseye
Orange Business
Whale Cloud & Telkomsigma
The Cloud Award
Winner: SK Telecom, BICS, Samsung Electronics & AWS: Roaming Edge Cloud
SK Telecom, alongside BICS, Samsung, and AWS have developed a highly impressive Roaming Edge Cloud technology that enhances 5G roaming quality by deploying the User Plane Function closer to roaming customers resulting in a huge reduction in Round-Trip-Time significant improvement in web page access speeds. “This is a highly agile and scalable approach to roaming that is already delivering some impressive results.”
The finalists were:
Rakuten Symphony
Mavenir
Viettel group
Jio Platforms Limited. (JPL)
Epsilon Telecommunications
stc with Red Hat
Colt Technology Services
The Cyber Security Award
Winner: SAM Seamless Network
The winner in this category presented an innovative solution using deep network visibility to protect against sophisticated cyber-attacks in real-time and prevent the spread of zero-day attacks on networks of fragmented devices. As networks continue to grow more complex and cyberattacks more frequent, solutions like this will be at the forefront of consumer security. “A great submission with great supporting documentation. I would be happy to use this solution in my home.”
Highly Commended: Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier & Mobileum
The finalists were:
Arqit
Globe Telecom Inc. (Globe Business)
PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc.
The Future Award
Winner: KT
Leveraging its impressive 5G network alongside satellite connectivity, KT is looking to take a global lead in the nascent field of Urban Air Mobility (UAM). Featuring a host of technical collaborations, most notably with Hyundai, KT is already playing a major role in this emerging ecosystem, laying the groundwork for the future of flying taxis and beyond. “This could help alleviate congestion and pollution across South Korea and potentially, if shared, globally. I’m looking forward to seeing a larger rollout of the UAM worldwide, with telco support.”
The finalists were:
Vodafone Automotive and Celfocus
CITIC Telecom CPC
Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) and Ericsson
The Platform Award
Winner: Bango
Bango’s Digital Vending Machine platform brings together subscription services from media, entertainment, lifestyle, shopping, transportation, and other categories, allowing telcos to become true subscription hubs for their customers. With numerous leading operators, such as Verizon and Optus, already on board, this platform is already offering enormous value to tens of millions of their consumers. “This platform enables telcos to become subscription hubs, with each allowed to customise their offerings as they choose. A lot of great value for customers here.”
Finalists
Rakuten Symphony
Bridge Alliance
Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) and Ericsson
Tata Communications Transformation Services Limited
The Satellite Telecoms Award
Winner: OneWeb & Celfocus
As Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications becomes an increasingly exciting field, OneWeb continues to prove itself as an innovative and exciting company. The company’s Order Management Solution, developed in partnership with Celfocus, has played a vital role in expanding the company’s reach, helping to connect customers in some of the most remote places on Earth. “A wonderfully detailed entry that shows the great progress being made in a rapidly expanding industry. I look forward to seeing what comes next.”
Finalists
Highly Commended: Kacific Broadband Satellites Ltd
The Smart Places Award
Winner: Orange
Orange’s work alongside La Banque des Territoires (The Bank of Territories) to commercialise their Live Territory digital support tool provides an invaluable building block in creating the smart cities of the future. Helping cities to betted understand their infrastructure’s effectiveness through data integration, this solution can have a huge impact on smart city efficiency and, perhaps more importantly, sustainability. “Wide ranging and holistic, this approach is going to be really important in allowing cities to become more sustainable and manage their infrastructure in a smarter way.”
Finalists
Highly Commended: Subtonomy Crowds
The Social Contribution Award
Winner: Globe Telecom, Inc.
In this category, Globe Telecom’s ‘Tuloy ang Edukasyon, Tuloy ang Pag-asa’ (Continued Education, Continued Hope) campaign showcased an operator fully at one with its customers. Using digital learning solutions, digital expertise, and its product and network ecosystem to reach millions of Filipinos, Globe is showing their ongoing commitment to shrinking the digital divide. “A very positive project with amazing impact on digital learning across the country.”
The finalists were:
PLDT & Smart
Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison
A1 Slovenija & Taktik
Moldcell
SK telecom & Tuat Corp.
The Sustainability Award
Winner: SK Telecom & Intel
Power consumption remains a major challenge for telcos around the world, but this category’s winner is tackling the project head on. Working alongside Intel, SK Telcom’s Infrastructure Power Manager software can dynamically adjust a site’s power consumption based on real-time data traffic, in some cases leading
to reductions in energy usage of almost 50%.
“Really significant reductions in power consumption in one of the most energy-hungry parts of the
network. This is a great use of AI and ML to support sustainability goals.”
Finalists
Vertical Bridge
Singtel and Ericsson
stc group
Total Experience Award
Winner: Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison
Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison’s Marvelous Experience (MX) programme aims to streamline the employee onboarding experience, humanised the employee offboarding process, and reduce network compensation resolution times. With the creation of Marvelous Xperience Centre in collaboration with industry leaders like Google, Meta, Nokia, Ericsson, and Huawei, this operator continues to collaborate with stakeholders at every level. “A comprehensive approach to total experience that involves input from every stakeholder, notably including employees and customers in the idea generation process.”
The finalists were:
Arelion
Colt Technology Services
Subtonomy
Plume
Viettel group
Tech Mahindra
Woman in Telecoms Award
Winner: Olena Lutsenko, Managing Director of Black Sea Region, RETN
Overseeing operations in Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, and Armenia, Olena Lutsenko has played pivotal role in RETN’s exceptional growth in the Black Sea region. More recently, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership in an extremely difficult operational environment throughout the war in Ukraine, becoming a leading voice in the telecoms industry on how to handle network operation during times of crisis. “Exception leadership in the face of unbelievable headwinds. I find her journey over the last year very inspiring.”
The finalists were:
InterDigital, Diana Pani
Moldcell, Carolina Bugaian
Bayobab (Formerly MTN GlobalConnect), Lillian Mutwalo
Project Isizwe, Shireen Powell
Rakuten Symphony, Azita Arvani
CEO of the Year Award
Winner: Ahmed Mohamud Yusuf, Hormuud Telecom
Since 2002, Ahmed Mohamud Yusuf has been the CEO of Hormuud Telecommunications, successfully building it from scratch into Somalia’s largest private sector employer and the force for good it is today. Ahmed’s leadership has positioned him as a visionary force within telecommunications for twenty years. “It is important to recognise the unsung heroes in often-overlooked emerging markets. Ahmed Mohamud Yusuf deserves enormous praise for returning to his troubled home country with a vision to improve people’s lives. He has delivered upon this promise time and time again. Inspiring.”
The finalists were:
Highly Commended: MasMovil, Meinrad Spenger
Colt Technology Services, Keri Gilder
Deutsche Telekom AG, Tim Höttges
Kacific Broadband Satellites Ltd, Christian Patourau
The winners magazine can be found here:
See you next year! 2024 Award entries open 1 March 2024
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