Zong, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Mobile, has won the Operational Excellence Leader award for Innovation at The Fast Mode Awards 2026 for its artificial intelligence (AI) driven Self-Intelligent Radio Access Network (RAN) Optimization Platform. The platform was developed in-house, and the company describes it as the first deployment of Level 4 (L4) autonomous network operations on a live commercial network in the country. The award was given in the communication service provider category, where The Fast Mode named Zong 5G as the winner for innovation. The awards were hosted by the global technology media brand The Fast Mode, which announced the winners on November 3.
The platform works as a closed loop that detects congestion on the network, carries out corrective actions on its own, and then validates the outcomes of those actions. Zong said that this turns optimization processes that were traditionally manual and could take several days into automated, AI-driven operations, which improves operational agility and network performance. It added that the platform provides a scalable base for more consistent and reliable customer experiences across the country, and that it is aligned with the AI enablement strategy of the company. The company said that through the platform it is taking AI beyond monitoring and recommendations to autonomous decision-making and execution.
The Fast Mode Awards recognise organisations and individuals across the telecom, satellite, and data center industries, and the 2026 edition drew entries from more than 500 companies across 11 categories. Entries were evaluated by a judging panel made up of international research bodies, industry associations, market analysts, and senior academics, and the entries this year pointed to a shift toward autonomous networking, AI, and agentic systems. Other winners in the same category of communication service providers included Vodafone Portugal with Celfocus, Maxis Broadband, and Telefonica, so the Zong platform was recognised alongside operators from Europe and Asia.
The latest award is the second international recognition of the Self-Intelligent RAN Optimization Platform this year, following the Asian Innovation Excellence Awards 2026 held in Singapore on October 20, where Zong won four honours in the telecommunication category, including Pakistan Technology Innovation of the Year for the same platform. The platform also received a Made in Pakistan Tech Excellence Award earlier in the year. These recognitions show how the company is presenting its in-house AI work as part of its strategy of ultimate customer experience, a diversified products and services portfolio, and AI enablement, as it continues to expand its 5G services.
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