The UK Internet Service Providers Association ( ISPA ) officially revealed the winners of its 12th annual internet industry awards last night at a black tie dinner in the Grosvenor Marriott Hotel . Be Broadband ( sibling of O2 ) rightly came out top for Best Consumer Fixed Broadband ISP, while FREEDOM4 WiFi took top honours for Best Mobile Broadband.

Elsewhere Labour MP Tom Watson, a strong anti-Digital Economy Act (DEA) campaigner, won the Internet Hero category, which recognises the person or organisation that is most deserving of recognition for promoting, developing or defending the interests of the Internet industry in the past year.

The Internet Villain category, which recognises those that have upset the industry and hampered its development, was won by none other than Lord Peter Mandelson - architect of the revised Digital Economy Act (DEA) and tougher customer penalties for "suspected" copyright file sharing activity by ISP customers. Mind you, there were admittedly a lot of difficult options to choose from (read the shortlist).

ISPA Awards 2010 Winners

Best Shared Hosting winner is: Namesco .

The judges were impressed with Namesco’s high level of customer satisfaction, with good use of security and technical support complemented by a clear pricing structure.

Best Dedicated Hosting winner is: NewNet .

In an extremely competitive category, the judges decided that NewNet’s wide product range, provision of 24/7 technical support and a dedicated account manager set them apart from their competitors.

The Best Internet Telephony winner, sponsored by Magrathea, is: Gradwell .

The judges agreed that Gradwell’s use of new media to interact with and help their customers made them stand out from their competitors in this category. Furthermore, the clear communication with its customers made Gradwell the worthy winner.

The Best Mobile Broadband winner is: FREEDOM4 WiFi .

Winning for the second year running, the judges felt that Freedom4 Wifi made the best use of technology to offer the various connectivity options to suit both business and leisure travellers.

The Best Business Customer Service winner is: Clara.net .

The judges agreed that Claranet were worthy winners as they showed they had a clear path to resolving issues as they arose through industry standard methodologies and the latest technology.

The Best Consumer Customer Service winner, sponsored by mquadr.at, is: PlusNet .

The judges were impressed with the effective way that Plusnet handled complaints, including flexibility in how customers can contact them, and were particularly impressed with the way Plusnet provided a geographic number for consumers to contact the company, setting them apart from other finalists.

The Access Innovation Award winner is: Cybermoor .

The judges felt that Cybermoor deserved the inaugural award for delivering next generation broadband to a community that would not otherwise have received access to such broadband and for its community-based approach. The judges were impressed by the entrants to this new category and want to see it expanded next year as it shows the way companies and individuals can go beyond what’s expected of them.

The Internet Safety Award winner is: Childnet .

The judges agreed that Childnet deserved to win as their work is focused on all those involved in making the internet a safer place – children, parents and teachers – and liked the way the Internet was portrayed in a positive light.

The Digital Inclusion Award winner, in association with Race Online 2012 and sponsored by Plusnet, is: Bolton Literacy Trust .

The Race Online 2012 judges felt that Bolton Literacy Trust stood out among the entries, both for its longevity and for its impact. The scheme has touched the lives of more than 1,000 people in the eight years it's been running, ranging from the elderly, those with mental health problems, teenage parents and asylum-seekers. It's a great example of how local organisations can use computers and the Internet.

The Corporate Social Responsibility Award winner is: Orange .

The judges felt that Orange were the worthy winners as they clearly involve their staff in CSR as well as devoting money to the work. The judges also commended the efforts they made on behalf of young people.

The Best Business Fixed Broadband winner is: Clara.net .

In a competitive field this year, the judges decided that Claranet’s use of both asymmetric and symmetric broadband made them stand out from the competition. Claranet’s focus on business-to-business was also commended by the judges.

The Best Consumer Fixed Broadband winner, sponsored by F-Secure, is: Be Broadband .

In this fiercely competitive category, the judges commented that Be Broadband had clear pricing structures and offered good value for money. The judges also felt that Be Broadband stood out due to its bonding and contention.

The Internet Villain is: Lord Mandelson .

The ISPA Council decided that Lord Mandelson was a deserved winner of the villain award for ignoring principles of better regulation to amend an open consultation following lobbying from an interest group – no prizes for guessing which one.

The Internet Hero, sponsored by Eclipse Internet, is: Tom Watson MP .

ISPA Council members bestowed the Internet Hero Award upon Tom Watson MP for leading the opposition to the parliamentary fight against the Digital Economy Bill and continuing the campaign to ensure an informed approach to the Act.

No real surprises this year, most of the ISPA's picks seem to be quite fair, although there are a few other ISPs that we feel do a better job of Consumer Customer Service than PlusNet . That's not to say that PlusNet aren't good, just that smaller providers like AAISP often go that little bit further to help their users.

For more information:
http://www.ispaawards.org.uk