The Highest Honor for Telecom Innovators

Watching the Oscars always moves me. Just this morning, as the film and entertainment industry gathered for the 97th Academy Awards, I saw them celebrate their progress—cheering not just the stars, but the grips, the editors, the dreamers who lit up screens with stories like The Substance or Anora, this year’s unexpected gem. A well-crafted awards night doesn’t just honor—it inspires. It’s a reminder that recognition fuels something bigger, lifting an entire community toward what’s possible.

Why does recognition matter? Why do we cheer for the actor who moves us to tears or the musician who scores our lives at the Grammys? It’s because celebration ignites something deeper. It inspires us. It reminds us that greatness isn’t just for the individual—it’s a spark that lifts an entire community forward.

I owe much of my career to the telecom industry—a world that’s reshaped how we connect, work, and dream over the past two and a half decades. Two decades ago as an intern at IDBI, I sat wide-eyed, studying reports from the sharpest investment bankers, their pages brimming with proposals for billions in transformative investments. That was my window into an industry that doesn’t just build networks—it lays the foundation for our digital existence. Yet, there’s a paradox here: while innovation around telecom—apps, AI, streaming—sprints ahead, the innovation within it often goes unnoticed. People call it slow. Uncreative.

This is an industry that thrives under tight regulation, serving nations, employees, governments, and shareholders with quiet resilience. It has lost some of its glamour, but it’s vital. It keeps us linked when the world feels far apart. It deserves more than a footnote—it deserves a roar of applause. So why don’t we celebrate it like Hollywood does its own? Why don’t we gather to share the breakthroughs, honor the grind, and push each other to new heights? That’s the heartbeat of this vision.

How: A Stage for the Telecom Industry to Shine

This isn’t about one prize—it’s about all of us, coming together like the Oscars or Grammys, where an industry says, “This is our story.” Here’s how it unfolds:

• A shared spotlight: Picture the teams who keep the signal alive joining the ones who push it further. Visualize Jakarta’s innovators standing tall with Manila’s engineers—a stage for every voice, not just the loudest.

• No walls between us: No fees, no hidden costs—just open arms, because this isn’t about who can pay; it’s about who dares to build.

• Seeing the unseen: We don’t wait for you to shout your name; we chase the brilliance wherever it hums—because telecom runs on the unsung, and we’ll find you.

• A family, not a fight: Winners and non-winners fill the room, not as rivals but as kin—because in this relentless field, being noticed is a win worth toasting.

• Judged by our own: Telecom’s own lift the curtain—peers who feel the weight of every tower, the pulse of every signal, not distant strangers.

• Rooted in truth: The measure’s fair, sharp, built on the rigor we live by—a foundation we can trust.

This isn’t just a process—it’s a promise: a moment where we pause, look at each other, and feel the pride of what we’ve woven into the world, together.

What: The Highest Honor for Telecom Innovators

What does this become? It’s a movement that lifts the telecom industry into the light—not just the loudest names, but the steady hearts who code the future, string the lines, and dream the next leap. We’re calling it “The Highest Honor for Telecom Innovators” because it’s more than an award—it’s a tribute to the progress we’ve forged as one.

A heartfelt thank you to F5 for joining us as our first partner in this bold step. More will stand with us soon, and together, we’ll craft a platform that’s truly ours—one that echoes with the industry’s pulse. This isn’t my journey, or yours alone—it’s ours. So I call on you—telco leaders, engineers, trailblazers—to step in. Share your fire. Cheer your peers. Help us honor the path we’ve walked and the horizon we’re chasing.

The telecom industry doesn’t just deserve a nod—it deserves a thunderous ovation. Let’s give it one, together.