Capacity has revealed the finalists for the Global Connectivity Awards 2026, with 142 companies shortlisted across 39 categories from more than 500 submissions.
Winners will be revealed on Wednesday 14 October 2026 at Indigo at The Oâ‚‚ in London, during Capacity Europe 2026. The ceremony, which marks 22 years of the awards, is expected to draw more than 400 attendees from over 45 countries.
Sparkle is the most-shortlisted company, with eight nominations spanning subsea, AI, security, data centre and edge services, and Project of the Year. Telin and Telecom Egypt follow with seven each, while Singtel has six. Totals include joint entries.
Best Network Technology & Software Development has the largest shortlist, with 19 finalists, followed by Innovation Disruptor of the Year with 17 and Best AI Innovation with 16. The AI shortlist ranges from vendors such as Nokia and ZTE to operators including Singtel, PCCW Global and NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS.
Middle Eastern Connectivity Provider of the Year and Asia-Pacific Connectivity Provider of the Year have the largest regional shortlists, with nine finalists each. Gulf operators are also prominent in the commercial categories. stc, center3, Etihad Salam Telecom Company KSA, Kalaam Carrier Solutions and Zain Omantel International are all shortlisted for Best Sales Team.
NTT DATA has four nominations across the global and regional provider categories, covering Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America and Best Global Connectivity Provider – Data.
Dealmaking features in two categories. Digital Infrastructure Investment Deal of the Year finalists are Bridge Data Centres, Conecta Infra, Elea Data Centers, KIO Data Centers, Megaport and Mobily. The Best Strategic Acquisition shortlist includes EXA Infrastructure, iBASIS, Open Access Data Centres and PTCL Group.
Two awards, the Brynn Fowler Agent of Change Award and the Rising Star Award, have no public shortlist, and their winners will be announced on the night.
The full list of finalists can be found here: Global Connectivity Awards – 2026 Finalists
Capacity Europe 2026
The 25th anniversary edition of Capacity Europe 2025 will bring together 3,500+ decision-makers from the global connectivity and digital infrastructure community.
