Finalists Revealed for the ISPAs 2017 UK ISP Internet Industry Awards

The UK Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) has today revealed a list of the finalists for their forthcoming 19th annual 2017 Internet industry awards, which sees Entanet, Exa Networks and Hyperoptic topping the table with four nominations each.

As a quick recap, last year’s event saw London fixed wireless ISP Relish Wireless secure the win for ‘Best Consumer Broadband‘ and Hyperoptic take home the ‘Best Superfast Broadband‘ award (they’ve just been nominated for this again). Meanwhile Apple was named ‘Internet Hero‘ for defending the fundamental principles of encryption and privacy, while Mossack Fonseca Panama picked up the ‘Internet Villain‘ gong for their massive lapse in cyber security and leaking of confidential financial data.

By comparison this year’s event will include several new categories, such as the Best Rural Broadband Award (i.e. recognising the work so many alternative networks are doing in hard-to-reach areas), Best Wholesale ISP and Executive of the Year.

The entrants will be scrutinised by a “panel of industry experts,” while broadband ISPs, website hosts and VoIP providers must also undergo some “rigorous technical testing.”

Nicholas Lansman, ISPA Secretary General, said:

“The companies shortlisted at this year’s ISPA Awards play a vital role in ensuring the UK remains a world leading digital economy. The 19th ISPAs once again demonstrates the innovation and diversity of our industry and I look forward to finding out the winners at the gala awards ceremony on July 13th.”

The shortlist for the ‘Internet Hero‘ and ‘Internet Villain‘ gongs tend to follow a little closer to the event and the public will shortly be asked to nominate who they want to win for these two categories. Otherwise the winners will all be announced during an event held at Café de Paris in London’s West End on 13th July 2017.

2017 Award Categories and Finalists

Best Superfast Broadband
ASK4
Entanet International
Exa Networks
Hyperoptic
Venus Business Communications

Best Business Broadband
Bridge Fibre
BT Business
Hyperoptic
Luminet
M24Seven
RM Education
Venus Business Communications

Best Rural Broadband
Airband Community Internet
Gigaclear plc
Quickline Communications
South West Internet
Wessex Internet from M12 Solutions

Best Wireless
ASK4
Luminet
M12 Solutions (Wessex Internet)
M24Seven
South West Internet

Best Host
catalyst2
Exa Networks
Heart Internet
Memset
Storm Internet

Best Wholesale
Entanet International
TalkTalk Business
Venus Business Communications
Zen Internet

Best Hardware
Linksys Velop
RADWIN JET PRO
Sky Broadband

Best Tech Law Firm
Browne Jacobson LLP
Kemp Little LLP
LawBite
Preiskel & Co LLP

Best Marketing
Bowan Arrow – ShoreTel Partner Demand Program
Entanet International Ltd – Target Partner Programme
LivingCom – The Rental Requirements of Millennial Movers white paper
Plusnet
StudentCom – Generation Z
Talk Straight Ltd (Schools Broadband) – Discovery Kids

Best VoIP
Gradwell Communications
iNet Telecoms
Soho66
Telappliant
VIA
VoIPstudio

Executive of the Year
Dana Tobak, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Hyperoptic

Furqan Alamgir, Founder & CEO, Connexin

Lee Perkins, CEO, M24Seven

Matthew Hare, Chief Executive and Founder, Gigaclear

Steve Hodges, Managing Director, Astro Communications

Suzie Hargreaves OBE, Chief Executive, Internet Watch Foundation

Best Cloud
catalyst2
Exa Networks
Memset
Storm Internet
Talk Straight
VIA

Best Consumer Customer Service
CableCom Networking
Hyperoptic
MacAce
Plusnet
Sky
Wessex Internet from M12 Solutions
Wifinity Limited

Best Business Customer Service
catalyst2
Entanet International
Luminet
Storm Internet
Talk Straight
Telappliant

Best Security
Exa Networks
MacAce
Memset
Sky
Storm Internet
Talk Straight

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