2026 Awards Categories A-Z

Awarded to the company — public or private — that has distinguished itself from competitors through consistent execution, relentless innovation, and demonstrated business momentum. This award recognizes organizations that don't just respond to industry change but drive it.

Awarded to the senior executive who led with clarity and conviction in a year that demanded both. This is someone whose vision and decisions helped moved the conversation forward for their company, partners and peers.

Awarded to the vendor or service provider with the most innovative product or solution that deploys autonomous AI agents to perform complex, multi-step tasks across communications networks or telecom business operations.

Eligible entries may include solutions for network management, service assurance, customer operations or any application where AI agents take goal-directed action with minimal human intervention.

Awarded to the company that has launched the most innovative new product to enable the delivery of high-speed broadband access. Eligible products may include fiber, cable, DSL or fixed wireless access technologies and the platforms that support them.

Awarded to the service provider, cloud provider or vendor that has launched the most innovative cloud-native, communications-focused product or solution during the past year.

Eligible entries should demonstrate how cloud principles — scalability, flexibility, automation — are being applied to advance communications services or network operations.

Awarded to the vendor, service provider or platform developer with the most innovative product or platform that exposes network capabilities as programmable APIs for developers, enterprises or other operators.

Eligible entries may include CAMARA-aligned solutions, Open Gateway implementations, network-as-code platforms or any product that enables third parties to build services on top of network capabilities.

Awarded to the vendor with the most innovative new routing, switching or other networking product (IP or Ethernet) purpose-built for hyperscaler or data center networks.

Entries should demonstrate meaningful advances in throughput, latency, power efficiency or programmability for AI infrastructure and cloud-scale workloads. Vendors with optical components or systems should consider the Most Innovative Optical Networking Product categories.

Awarded to the vendor with the most innovative new routing, switching or other networking product (IP or Ethernet) aimed at communications service providers.

Eligible entries should demonstrate meaningful advances in capacity, efficiency or automation for carrier-grade networks. Vendors with optical components or systems should consider the Most Innovative Optical Networking Product categories.

Awarded to the vendor with the most innovative optical component — including transceivers, amplifiers, filters, modulators or other photonic devices — that advances the performance, density or efficiency of optical transport networks.

Entries should reflect a significant step forward in the building blocks that enable high-capacity optical connectivity

Awarded to the vendor with the most innovative optical networking system — including line systems, ROADM platforms, optical transport network (OTN) equipment or coherent transmission systems — that advances the capacity, reach or manageability of optical transport networks.

Eligible entries include both long-haul and metro optical systems.

Awarded to the vendor with the most innovative radio access network (RAN) product or solution launched or significantly improved during the past year.

Eligible entries may include Open RAN, vRAN, massive MIMO, small cells or RAN automation and intelligence solutions.

Awarded to the vendor or service provider with the most innovative product or solution in satellite or non-terrestrial network (NTN) connectivity, including low-Earth orbit (LEO), medium-Earth orbit (MEO) or geostationary (GEO) systems. Eligible entries may include direct-to-device satellite technology, satellite-terrestrial integration platforms, ground segment equipment or NTN-enabled services.

Awarded to the vendor or service provider with a product or solution that creatively applies AI or machine learning to support the changing needs of communications network operators.

Eligible entries may cover network optimization, predictive maintenance, traffic management, energy efficiency or any AI/ML application that measurably improves network or operational performance.

Awarded to the vendor or service provider with the most innovative product or solution that protects communications networks, infrastructure or subscribers from cyber threats, fraud or unauthorized access.

Eligible entries may include network security platforms, zero-trust architectures, AI-driven threat detection, signaling security or solutions addressing the specific vulnerabilities of 5G, open RAN or cloud-native network environments.

Awarded to the vendor providing the most innovative solution that helps CSPs evolve and improve their IT back office (OSS/BSS/CX), making their networks more efficient and delivering a better customer experience.

Eligible entries may include billing and revenue management, network orchestration, service fulfillment, customer management or AI-enhanced operational software platforms. Vendors with compelling deployment stories should also consider the Outstanding Use Case: Network Modernization & Automation category.

Awarded to the systems vendor with the most innovative new solution that aids communications service providers in network testing, measurement, monitoring or assurance.

Eligible entries may cover lab or field test equipment, network performance monitoring, service quality assurance or automated testing platforms.

This award is for the company that shares an outstanding example of how 5G or pre-standard 6G network technology brings measurable results to a business, government or other organization.

Entries should demonstrate real-world deployment outcomes, not theoretical capabilities.

Awarded to the company presenting the most compelling example of how AI or machine learning is being applied to broadband or fixed access networks to improve performance, subscriber experience or operational efficiency.

Eligible entries may include AI-powered network management platforms, intelligent capacity planning, proactive fault detection or personalized subscriber experience tools deployed in fiber, cable or fixed wireless access environments.

Awarded to the company that is using artificial intelligence or machine learning in an innovative way to improve network performance, customer service or business operations for a communications service provider network.

Entries should highlight measurable outcomes and the specific AI or ML techniques employed. Companies with broadband-focused AI deployments may also wish to consider the Outstanding Use Case: AI-Driven Broadband & Access Networks category.

Entrants whose AI deployment is part of a broader network modernization or legacy transformation initiative may also wish to consider the Outstanding Use Case: Network Modernization & Automation category.

Awarded to the company or institution presenting the best example of how it is successfully working to broaden access and reduce the barriers to affordable Internet connectivity for underserved communities.

Eligible entries may include rural broadband deployments, subsidy or affordability programs, digital literacy initiatives or public-private partnerships aimed at closing the connectivity gap.

Awarded to the company that used its communications technology or network to deliver a superior experience to business, consumer or government customers.

Eligible entries should demonstrate how technology — including AI, automation, self-service or network improvements — directly improved customer satisfaction, reduced friction or created measurable loyalty gains.

Awarded to the vendor or service provider presenting the most compelling example of how they reduced energy consumption, improved power efficiency or advanced sustainability goals across a communications network or data center environment.

Eligible entries may include AI-driven energy optimization, renewable energy deployments, cooling innovations, network consolidation initiatives or any measurable effort to reduce the carbon footprint or operating costs of communications infrastructure.

Awarded to the company with an outstanding example of a successful fixed wireless access (FWA) or innovative broadband deployment that expanded coverage, improved speeds or served a previously underserved market.

Eligible entries may include consumer, enterprise or wholesale deployments leveraging 4G, 5G or millimeter wave technology.

Awarded to the vendor, operator or hyperscaler presenting the most compelling example of how advanced optical or high-capacity transport networking solved a real-world connectivity challenge.

Eligible entries may include AI data center interconnect deployments, long-haul capacity expansions, submarine cable innovations or metro optical upgrades that demonstrate measurable gains in throughput, latency or efficiency.

Awarded to the company presenting the most innovative and impactful use of Internet of Things technology over a communications network.

Eligible entries should demonstrate how connected devices, sensors or IoT platforms delivered measurable business, operational or societal value in industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, smart cities or logistics.

Awarded to the vendor or service provider presenting the most compelling example of how they unlocked new revenue streams or transformed their business model using network capabilities, platforms or digital services.

Eligible entries may include network-as-a-service offerings, platform-based revenue models, digital transformation of the revenue stack or any initiative that demonstrably expanded commercial opportunity beyond traditional connectivity services.

Entrants with network API-specific monetization stories should consider the Outstanding Use Case: Network API Monetization category.

Awarded to the operator, vendor or developer platform presenting the most compelling example of how network APIs were exposed, commercialized or used to deliver new value to enterprise customers or third-party developers.

Eligible entries may include CAMARA or Open Gateway deployments, API marketplace implementations or specific enterprise applications built on programmable network capabilities that generated measurable business results.

Awarded to the vendor or service provider showcasing the most compelling example of how network modernization — including cloud-native transformation, network orchestration, automation and AI-enabled operations where they serve broader transformation goals — delivered measurable improvements in operational efficiency, agility or cost reduction.

Eligible entries may cover core network upgrades, OSS/BSS modernization, multi-domain automation or any initiative that meaningfully accelerates the evolution from legacy to modern network operations.

Entrants with strong revenue or business model transformation stories may also wish to consider the Outstanding Use Case: Monetization & New Revenue Models category.

Entrants whose modernization story is primarily driven by AI or machine learning innovation may also wish to consider the Outstanding Use Case: AI/Machine Learning category.

Awarded to the vendor or service provider presenting the most compelling example of how they protected a communications network, its infrastructure or its subscribers from cyber threats, fraud or service disruption.

Eligible entries should demonstrate real-world deployment outcomes, including the specific threat landscape addressed, the solution deployed and the measurable improvement in security posture or network resilience.

Awarded to the company with an outstanding example of a successful private wireless network deployment for an enterprise, government or industrial customer.

Eligible entries may include private 5G, private LTE or campus wireless deployments across industries such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, mining, ports or smart facilities, with emphasis on measurable operational or business outcomes.