Leading telecom provider of hub-based mobile solutions MACH, in partnership with Starcomms has won the Global Business Innovation Award 2011 for best wireless network infrastructure. Starcomms, the top telecom operator in Nigeria, said it was “honored” by the award. According to Global Telecoms Business – the awarding organization – the prize “recognizes MACH and Starcomms' successful collaboration in trialing and subsequently delivering the world's first inter-standard roaming data service for pre-paid subscribers.” Editor of GTB Alan Burkitt-Gray, while presenting the award, said that “this is a sure sign the industry is working harder and harder to deliver exciting and innovative services to customers worldwide.” In Lagos, analysts agreed, saying the combination of the two companies created a powerful source to bolster the telecom market in Nigeria. “For the first time, inter-standard data roaming is a realistic revenue stream for Starcomms and provides us with significant competitive advantage in the roaming market,” said Starcomms Chief Operating Officer Logan Pather in accepting the award. His counterpart at MACH, Vice-President of Technology and Innovation Lokdeep Signh said that these services “offer a more efficient and value-added approach to delivering a seamless extension of operators' home networks, without the capital and operational costs of unlocking new revenue opportunities for operators and providing cost-effective convenience for their customers.” BM