The Broadband Forum recently hosted its awards ceremony in Mainz, Germany, honouring high-achievers from within the broadband industry. The winners were noted for their immense devotion to propelling the industry towards intelligent, services-led networks that put user experience at the forefront, using open broadband standards and open software.

Bruno Cornaglia from Vodafone, and Bernd Hesse from DZS were awarded the 2024 Distinguished Fellow Award, recognising significant service and leadership that has driven the broadband networking industry's progression.

Cornaglia's numerous contributions to the industry have revolved around many aspects, including strategy, architecture, interface specification, and data models. As the Broadband Forum's SDN/NFV Work Area Co-Director and as TIP Chairman of Fixed Broadband Project Group, he has consistently promoted the Broadband Forum's CloudCO suite of standards on a global scale. Upon receiving his award, Cornaglia expressed his delight and acknowledged his privilege in playing a key role in the development of global broadband standards.

Similarly, Bernd Hesse contributed significantly towards enhancing interest and awareness in the Broadband Forum with his relentless efforts. In particular, he is recognised for establishing the Broadband Acceleration Seminar (BASe) series, attracting new members and funding to the organisation, and modernising the Broadband Forum's marketing processes. Additionally, Hesse also co-chairs an Executive Advisory Board, composed of C-level industry leaders, aiming to guide the future of the organisation. Hesse expressed honour in being recognised for his involvement in directing the industry's leading initiatives and committed to continuing to derive value for end-users.

The Circle of Excellence Award, honouring exceptional leadership in ongoing Broadband Forum initiatives, was bestowed upon industry professionals including Mathieu Anne from Orange, Nick Hancock from Adtran, Ludwig Paulwels from Nokia, Jeff Hartley, previously with CommScope, and Venkatesh Padebettu from Juniper Networks.

The Outstanding Contributor Award was assigned to individuals who have played a pivotal role in driving innovation and contributions to the Broadband Forum's work. The accomplished recipients were Dennis Edwards and Tom van Caenegem from Nokia, Justin Nelson from the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory, Stephane Bryant from MT2, and Kenneth Wan from Nokia.

The Broadband Forum extended its congratulations to all award recipients and nominees, expressing gratitude for their continued dedication to shaping the future of the broadband industry.