The Internet Services Providers’ Association (ISPA UK) is excited to announce the finalists for the 2021 ISPA Awards! Thirty-three providers have been nominated across twelve categories that reflect a year where gigabit broadband rollout has stepped up another gear helping to keep the UK working, home schooling, in touch with friends and family and entertained.

Exa Networks scored an impressive five nominations and Hyperoptic and Glide both received four nominations each, while Community Fibre, Jurassic Fibre, RM Education and Cerberus Networks are all nominated for three awards. The winners will be announced on 4th November 2021 at a gala awards ceremony in central London.

Now in its 23rd year, the ISPA Awards is the longest running and most prestigious awards for the UK’s ISP industry. To keep the awards fresh and reflective of an innovative and changing sector, this year we added the Best Ultrafast ISP category for the growing number of providers and packages provided faster broadband speeds, while the Social Impact Award recognises those helping bridge the digital divide.

The shortlist for the Internet Hero category will be unveiled closer to the ceremony, and once again we will be crowdsourcing suggestions from the public in the coming months.

ISPA’s Secretary General, Nick Lansman, commented:

“This year’s shortlisted ISPA Awards finalists demonstrate the high calibre and diversity of ISPs across the UK, who continue to drive growth and innovation across the internet industry. In a year where we have been in and out of lockdowns, ISPs stepped up their efforts to provide vital services and technological advances to keep the UK’s digital economy pumping, driving innovation and the rollout and delivery of key infrastructure. We are all looking forward to an exciting evening which celebrates the best that the UK industry has to offer.”

Event details

Presentation of the 2021 Awards will take place on 4th November at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane hotel in London. Tickets will go on sale later this summer.

The awards would not be made possible without the support of the 2021 ISPA Awards sponsors Magrathea, CityFibre, Netgem, Fibrain, Plume, EPS Global, TP-Link, Enxoo, TXO, Technical Resources and VIAVI Solutions.

2021 ISPAs Shortlist

Best Rural ISP

Sponsored by


B4RN
Cerberus Networks
County Broadband
Trooli
Truespeed 

Best Consumer ISP
sponsored by

Community Fibre
Glide
Hyperoptic
Jurassic Fibre
Wifinity
Zzoomm

Best Business ISP
sponsored by

Cerberus Networks
Glide
Hyperoptic
Jurassic Fibre
RM Education 

Best Ultrafast ISP
sponsored by

Cerberus Networks
Community Fibre
Swish Fibre
Trooli
Truespeed 

Best VoIP
sponsored by

Dial 9 Communications
Enreach UK
SureVoIP
Voipfone
WebMate

Best Infrastructure Provider
sponsored by 

CityFibre
Full Fibre
Glide
ITS Tech Group
KCOM 

Best Cyber Security
Exa Networks
Plume
RM Education
Talk Straight
Telappliant 

Best Customer Service
sponsored by

catalyst2
Exa Networks
Glide
Hyperoptic
RM Education
Sky 

Best Hosted Service
catalyst2
Exa Networks
Krystal Hosting
Storm Internet
WebMate 

Social Impact Award

sponsored by


Community Fibre - Free fibre broadband connectivity to isolated households in London
Exa Networks - Exa Foundation to help teachers and students of all ages
Full Fibre - Developing a full fibre network for areas forgotten by previous developments
Hyperoptic - The Hyperoptic Digital Connectivity Social Value Calculator
KCOM - Supporting their local communities with a range of initiatives during pandemic
Talk Straight - Innovative networking solution on Otley’s Garnett Wharfe estate 

Best Partnership

sponsored by

Exa Networks - for Bradford Champions Group / Bradford Community Champions
Glide - and Ruckus Network technologies for revolutionising smart connectivity in the UK
Jurassic Fibre - and Burrington Estates providing full fibre connectivity to unique Winslade Park redevelopment
Netgem - for Community Fibre branded TV services powered by Netgem
Plume and WightFibre’s Whole Home Wi-Fi, Powered by Plume HomePass 

Best Customer Solution
Antheus Telecom - Antheus Artificial Intelligence Integration system for contact centres
BDR Group - Medway Community Healthcare projects
Netgem - TV and Wholehome WiFi all in one
Swish Fibre - Connecting schools to their network extension, free of charge
Talk Straight - A unique web filtering solution for vulnerable children providing appropriate online safety 

Internet Heroes Nominees

Rory-Cellan Jones - As the BBC’s Technology Correspondent since 2007, Rory has been responsible for keeping the public informed about technology in an accessible and meaningful way. Keeping millions of people aware of highly technical technological issues when their level of understanding about the internet is low is no small ask. The importance of this should not be underestimated, especially given the need for technological literacy in the modern world. Rory has been instrumental in communicating these issues from the age of dial up to the age of gigabit broadband. After 40 years of service to the BBC, he is retiring later this month.

 

Telecoms Infrastructure Project Team – TIP has been a hugely important group for driving infrastructure solutions to advance global connectivity. The positive signs that 58% of the world are now internet users show how TIP are helping achieve their goal, and while there is a long way to go, their work up until now deserves to be recognised. Special credit should also go to their work in promoting open industry standards and technology diversification, such as OpenRAN.

 

Helen Milner OBE – The Good Things Foundation has been vital in helping promote digital inclusion at a time when the pandemic has made digital literacy crucial to access health information and keep in contact with loved ones.  The Good Things Foundation has provided practical support to millions of people to achieve social change. The numbers speak for themselves – 3.5 million people supported to gain digital skills shows the progress made. Their work with Government, ISPs and wider industry has been hugely important to champion a digitally included nation. We believe Helen Milner OBE is absolutely due praise for her work as CEO of the Good Things Foundation.