I've spent over 25 years in the B2B mobile industry. In that time, I've watched technologies come and go, companies rise and fall, and the entire sector reinvent itself more than once. Through it all, one event has consistently stood out as the benchmark by which we measure ourselves: the Mobile News Awards.

These awards hold a special place in the hearts of those within the industry. Not just because of the gala dinner or the trophies, but because of what they represent. They are the collective recognition of excellence, innovation, and genuine commitment to the mobile sector. They are not simply handed out. They are hard-earned and fiercely contested, with every entry undergoing rigorous scrutiny by a panel of expert judges.

The Award That Always Eluded Us

For me personally, the Mobile News Awards have been a source of both admiration and, if I'm honest, frustration. Throughout my career, both as an employee and later as a business owner, I've had the privilege of leading teams that entered the prestigious "Best B2B Dealer" category. Each time, we poured everything into crafting the strongest possible submission, showcasing our achievements, our customer focus, and our dedication to doing things the right way.

We consistently felt we were strong contenders. We had a great sales team. We were known as "nice people to deal with." We were genuinely committed to providing our clients with the best possible service. And yet, year after year, the award eluded us. The judges, while acknowledging our efforts, ultimately felt other entrants were more deserving.

What I Got Wrong

For a long time, I struggled to understand why. I felt that our commitment to customer service and our strong sales figures should have been enough. I believed that being a "good company" with "good people" made us inherently deserving of recognition.

But as the years passed and I watched the industry evolve, my perspective shifted. I began to realise that the Mobile News Awards were never about being "good." They were about being exceptional. They were about demonstrating tangible, measurable innovation and a clear commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the mobile sector.

It wasn't enough to have a great sales team. You needed to demonstrate how your sales approach was innovative. It wasn't enough to be "nice people to deal with." You needed to show how your customer service was truly exceptional, driving positive outcomes and delivering real value.

That realisation changed the way I thought about what it takes to win, and it made this year's result all the more meaningful.

Why GTN Is Different

Joining Global Telecom Networks (GTN) last year, I saw firsthand the incredible focus the company puts into developing technology that genuinely enhances the customer experience. GTN understands that in today's digital landscape, exceptional service is not just about human interaction. It's about providing intuitive, powerful tools that empower customers and streamline their operations.

Two products in particular embody this. GTN.Support is the company's proprietary unified management platform, a single dashboard that gives businesses real-time visibility and self-service control across their entire telecom estate. It replaces the fragmented carrier portals that have frustrated IT teams for years with one place to manage everything. Alongside it, the Global SIM app delivers intelligent multi-network international roaming, automatically connecting users to the strongest available network in over 100 countries and eliminating bill shock and coverage uncertainty for travelling employees.

What the Judges Said

This relentless focus on innovation is precisely what the judges recognised when they crowned GTN the winner of the 2026 Mobile News Award for "Best B2B Dealer." Their comments said it all:

"A well-thought-out customer-facing strategy, with lots of enthusiasm for the work the organisation does, and clear priority on customer experience."

"Their personal approach, retail transformation, and proactive problem-solving set them apart. Exceptional customer service, backed by omni-channel accessibility, continuous innovation, strong operational improvements, and market-leading NPS ratings."

"Customer empathy is clear in the scoring for satisfaction, lower response times and use of web chat and included in the customer reviews."

Those words reflect a company that has made customer experience the foundation of everything it does. And the numbers back it up. GTN holds an NPS of 92, nearly three times the industry average of 31. Client retention sits at 96% against an industry benchmark of 82%. Revenue grew 34% year-on-year in 2025, and clients using the optimisation tools built into GTN.Support achieve an average of 18% in annual cost savings.

What This Win Means

For me, this win is not just a testament to GTN's success. It's also a validation of something I learned the hard way over 25 years: that the Mobile News Awards truly reward companies that are driving the industry forward, not just the ones doing a solid job.

If there's one thing I'd say to any B2B dealer thinking about entering these awards, it would be this: don't just tell the judges you're good at what you do. Show them what you've built, what you've changed, and why it matters to your customers. That's what separates a strong entry from a winning one.

I'm incredibly proud to be part of a team at GTN that is doing exactly that. And I'm excited to see what comes next, both for the company and for the industry as a whole.

Curious what award-winning B2B connectivity could do for your business? Book your free telecom audit today.