Third Annual World Communications Awards

August 13, 2001 The third annual World Communications Awards reported a  record number of entries this year, giving evidence that a sentiment of  enthusiasm perseveres in the depressed telecommunications industry. A panel of industry experts met last week to judge the entries and choose the shortlist. But the judges converged on London at a time when industry job redundancies have totaled nearly 300,000. "The number of entries is impressive, given that we're all aware of the difficulty of the industry being in meltdown mode," said Michael Potter, chairman of the judges' panel. The judges, however, were not swayed by current stock prices or the financial situation of operators. "Best balance sheet does not equal best carrier," explained one judge. Many entries were a "refreshing change" from an industry that often trades in hype, said one judge. Judges were impressed by low churn rates and positive end-user testimonials that supported many entries, indicating that some of the world's largest operators are set to weather the difficult technology market conditions. Judges were also impressed by entries that proved able to "manage change and increase competition" in the industry. The winners will be revealed at the World Communications Awards 
Gala dinner on 1 October in London.