1. CANTO INNOVATION AWARDS 2016
The CANTO Innovation Awards honour the highest achievements from the telecommunications industry over the past year, celebrating member organizations that are blazing a trail within the sector.

2. overview
The inaugural CANTO Innovation Awards will recognize and celebrate members that demonstrate excellence in service creation and delivery with the most advanced technologies, exercise modern operational methods and performance management, while making a solid contribution to their local community.
Applications will be open to all current, paid-up members of CANTO who must meet other eligibility requirements as stipulated by the sectional criteria for each award.
Winners will be selected via an independent panel of judges c

3. JUDGING
The judging process will rely on the expertise of an impartial panel of international experts whose background and experience include regulation, corporate leadership, philanthropy and technology. The judges evaluate the finalists and winners based on the criteria listed for each category, taking into consideration, where appropriate, company profiles and commercial performance during the designated time-frame. The finalists will be announced on stage at the 32nd Annual CANTO Conference and Trade Exhibition to be held at the Sheraton Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico – July 31-August 5, 2016.

4. RULES
While an organization may nominate for more than one category, no company may be nominated for multiple awards on substantially the same basis. Judges will discard entries for multiple awards which broadly replicate other entries. (For example, companies should not nominate themselves simultaneously in Innovation of the Year and an Industry Leadership Award using the success of a single technological innovation as justification for both).
Judges reserve the right to move an entry to a different category from the category entered if, in the judges’ opinion, the entry is better suited to that category.
All finalists for all individual awards are encouraged to attend the Global Metals Awards dinner to accept their award in person, in the event they are selected the winner.
All nominations must be submitted using the Online Nominating Form. Nominations must be received no later than May 31, No extensions to this date will be granted and incomplete entries may not be considered.
Nominations may be submitted either directly from a company, an involved individual, or a third party. In the event that a third party nominates a company or individual, CANTO will contact the nominated member organization or individual and ask the nominee to review the nomination for accuracy and, if necessary, provide any missing documentation. If the company or individual fails to provide the required response by the specified date, the nomination will be excluded from competition.

5. RULES
The Online Nominating Form requires completion of 3 sections for each nomination:
Summary: The rationale behind the entry is not to exceed 300 words.
Company Profile: Total revenue, profit and size of the nominated company should be detailed for the award period described in the category.
Judging Criteria: Each category has a unique list of criteria by which the nomination will be evaluated. Each criterion should have sufficient explanation – outstanding accomplishments, risks involved, significant obstacles which were overcome and any other pertinent information – which does not exceed 300 words. We strongly encourage you to reference the judging criteria glossary which gives clarity to each criterion.
All dollar amounts and financial statistics stated in the Online Nomination Form MUST be stated in US dollars.

6. RULES
Each nomination should include the nominated company’s logo. For screen quality, we require images of 300 dpi or above, Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop RGB EPS files. Nominations for individuals (CEO and Lifetime Achievement Award) should also be accompanied by a high-resolution color photograph of the individual nominated. All logos, photos and files can be ed
Supporting material is not required; however, should you choose to send additional materials, please send them via
Winners will NOT be notified prior to the CANTO awards dinner. Each winner is expected to accept their award on stage at the awards ceremony on August XX, at the Sheraton, San Juan.
All information submitted through the Online Nominating Form and all supporting materials will be considered confidential and will only be used by CANTO and its panel of judges for the purposes of selecting finalists and winners for the CANTO Best Practices Awards.

7. AWARD CATEGORIES
The Awards programme will have (6) categories open to applicants.
The Best Mobile Network Award will go to the most outstanding mobile network operator based on reliability, performance, innovation, customer support and value. Judges will examine applicants’ network performance (speed, coverage, reliability), technology deployment (latest wireless technology), network investments, Net Promoter Score, innovation, pricing plans and special services.
The Best Supplier to Network Operators Award will acknowledge members who have consistently delivered strong support and the most advanced technologies that enable the ‘do more’ possibilities of CANTO member network operators. Judges will lean on evidence of the nature and quality of the operators/supplier relationship to determine impact.
The Award for Best Handset Provider will salute the manufacturer that has made a significant, ground-breaking technological and sales achievements since end 2015, while making handsets more affordable and available to all markets where CANTO member countries operate. Judges will determine

8. AWARD CATEGORIES
The Innovation Award will go to the network operator that has deployed ground-breaking technology since end The award focuses on research/pre-commercial activities as well as commercial deployment and is intended to recognise entrants that have pushed the boundaries of network efficiency and functionality to deliver solutions for consumers and businesses. 
The Award for Connecting the Unconnected is open to service providers, vendors or operator/vendor combinations that have implemented projects to connect people challenged by location, poverty or disability since end This could be network, service or device related. Judges will be looking for evidence of uptake within the groups addressed and the benefits provided as well as innovation in the use of the network, equipment, products, solutions or service provision.
The Award for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility will be presented to the nominee that demonstrates it has been involved in projects that have a direct social impact on minority groups or the most vulnerable. Projects must be sustainable and be of measurable benefit to targeted stakeholders. Not only will this organization have established a commitment to society and its well-being, but will also have a compelling communications program that effectively conveys that commitment.

9. AWARD SAMPLES