WBA names 2026 industry award winners

The Wireless Broadband Alliance recognized eight organizations at its 14th annual Industry Awards in Vienna on Oct. 14, highlighting work in Wi-Fi 7, cellular convergence, OpenRoaming, high-density venues and digital inclusion. The winners show how Wi-Fi is being pushed into more public, indoor and underserved settings worldwide.

Why it matters: - The awards spotlight where Wi-Fi is evolving fastest: home broadband, crowded venues, enterprise networks, public infrastructure and underserved communities. - The winning projects point to a broader shift toward Wi-Fi 7, tighter Wi-Fi and cellular integration, and more seamless public access. - The social impact winner shows wireless infrastructure is also being used to expand internet access in places where traditional broadband is hard to deploy.

What happened: - The Wireless Broadband Alliance announced the winners of the 14th WBA Industry Awards on Oct. 14 during Wireless Global Congress EMEA 2026 in Vienna, Austria. - Eight organizations were recognized for achievements in Wi-Fi innovation, deployment and customer experience. - Tiago Rodrigues, president and CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance, said the winners reflect work on real-world connectivity problems, including performance, accessibility and network interoperability. - An independent panel of industry analysts and experts assessed the entries. - More information is available in the judging process, on the WBA Industry Awards page and at Wireless Global Congress.

The details: - Bouygues Telecom won Best Wi-Fi Network Operator for bringing Wi-Fi 7 to mainstream broadband customers in France through fiber and 5G home gateways and extenders. - Bouygues Telecom introduced what the WBA described as the world’s first tri-band Wi-Fi 7 extender. - Bouygues Telecom’s products support Multi-Link Operation and WPA3 security, with gateway speeds up to 18.67 Gbps. - nPerf ranked Bouygues Telecom as France’s leading provider for Wi-Fi performance for seven consecutive years. - Extreme Networks won Best Wi-Fi Network Technology for its multi-beam wireless approach for stadiums and other densely populated venues. - Extreme Networks’ technology creates multiple independent coverage sectors from a single installation point, cutting infrastructure needs and installation complexity. - Spectrum won Best In-Home Wi-Fi Network for Spectrum Advanced WiFi, which combines Wi-Fi 7, 5G connectivity and integrated security in a managed home network. - Boingo Wireless won Best Enterprise Wi-Fi Network for its deployment at Citi Field, where high-density Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity support both fans and stadium operations. - Indio Networks won Best Wi-Fi for Social Impact for Konnect Africa, which uses satellite connectivity and solar-powered Wi-Fi to serve rural communities across Africa. - Konnect Africa has more than 100 off-grid hotspots in five African countries and connects more than 50,000 rural residents. - Aura Wireless won Best Wi-Fi Innovation for Aura Apogee, a software-defined antenna platform designed for large outdoor areas and difficult indoor environments. - Aura Wireless’ patented technology improves reception from low-power devices at extended distances and helps reduce coverage gaps and infrastructure costs. - HFCL Limited won Best Wi-Fi Customer Experience for a Passpoint-based mobile data offloading solution that automatically connects users to available Wi-Fi networks. - HFCL Limited’s deployment at scale in India included use during the MahaKumbh gathering. - Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd. (Wi2) won Best OpenRoaming Deployment for a nationwide municipal OpenRoaming rollout across more than 20 municipalities in Japan. - Wi2’s deployment connects previously fragmented municipal networks and enables automatic, secure access without repeated registration or login. - The Wi2 project covers Tokyo, Osaka, transport hubs, tourist destinations and designated emergency evacuation centres.

Between the lines: - The winner list shows Wi-Fi is moving from a consumer convenience layer to a core part of transport, sports, public safety and city infrastructure. - Several entries focus on reducing hardware complexity, which suggests the industry is trying to expand coverage while controlling costs. - The rise of OpenRoaming and Passpoint-based offloading points to a push for simpler handoffs between networks, especially in busy public environments. - The emphasis on digital inclusion underscores that connectivity policy is no longer just about speed; it is also about access and resilience.

What's next: - The WBA is likely to keep using the annual awards to highlight deployments that show interoperability, public access and Wi-Fi and cellular convergence. - The winning projects may serve as reference points for operators, cities and venues looking to scale higher-capacity Wi-Fi and seamless access models. - The public-private partnership model behind Wi2’s rollout could inform similar municipal deployments outside Japan.

The bottom line: - The 2026 WBA awards frame Wi-Fi as infrastructure, not just internet access, with the strongest momentum in faster home broadband, denser venues, and simpler cross-network connectivity.