5G is ultra-fast, ultra-powerful and increasingly in more and more places.

It is the 5th generation of mobile technology – the next step that will eventually replace 4G throughout the world. The move to 5G gives consumers and businesses a faster, more responsive and overall more powerful experience. What does that mean in real terms? Uploading pictures, or videos faster, even in crowded areas when 4G can’t handle the load. It also means downloading is quicker. For home internet, it means replacing fiber-optic cable with a faster wireless connection that comes right through your wall or window.

We created an entire FAQ devoted to 5G. Check it out here.

You can learn all there is to know about 5G at our special 5G Tech FAQ.

It really means just that: What’s the passion project you’ve been thinking about to make the world a better place? What do you and your colleagues feel needs fixing? We’ve experienced so much over the last few years and continue to face new challenges, so how can 5G technology help us find solutions?

Here’s your chance to make a change!

When you’ve assembled your team and have come up with your big idea, head on over to our submission page and make sure to fill it out and hit that ‘submit’ button by Friday, April 1, 2022.

You tell us? Why should we pick your team? How has your idea integrated 5G technology? We didn’t want to make the submission process too intensive, so you have just two questions to send our way.

Your idea and your expertise are the key criteria you’ll be judged on in this early submission phase. We also encourage every team to have a diverse make up which will factor into the winning submission.

Yes, we expect all finalists to join us for the dates and activities listed below.

Virtual (full team)
April 14: Kickoff & Orientation Session

April 15 – 28: Virtual Competition and Mentor Sessions

In Person (two representative team members)
April 29: Hackathon finalist teams present their ideas to a panel of judges in NYC

May 16: The big moment: finalist teams will attend The Webby Awards in NYC, where the winning team will be announced and receive an award onstage.

Ideally your team would have at minimum someone with an understanding of the capabilities of 5G. That could be a developer or an engineer, or perhaps a creative technologist or strategist. Do you need to build a prototype? It’s not required but with 2 weeks to hack away as a finalist, your goal is to wow the judges with a truly stunning presentation. Would a prototype contribute to that? That’s for you to decide 🙂

Barring any illegal activities, there are no limitations or conditions for how the prize money can be spent.

Yes. As an initiative of the Webby Awards and our partners at Verizon, the internet and the capabilities that 5G provides internet users should be core to your idea. Part of the criteria the judges will use will be the integration of 5G in within your idea.

Yes, and we’ll help cover expenses for your team’s two representatives to travel to NYC.

There’s truly no place like New York City. And as the city begins to reopen, your team’s presence in NYC for both the pitch competition AND the Webby show will factor into the determination of the finalists.

Yes, you will remain sole owners of the IP of your idea with the hope that you will continue to pursue it towards a tangible reality. Neither The Webby Awards nor Verizon will have any ownership of youridea. We hope that you will develop it further to make it your own and create real change in the world.

A major part of the hackathon is capturing your thinking and creative decision points, so interview footage and footage of the pitch competition itself will be an integral part of the finalists’ involvement and ultimately the winning team’s big Webby moment.

Sure. We are really hoping for ideas that can lead to real change. So the more great ideas our judges have to choose from the better. Just make sure it’s a Webby-winning idea that incorporates the internet and 5G and feel free to submit multiple ideas.

Not a problem. In the pursuit for a world-changing 5G idea, who are we to limit team members to just a single team. Feel free to mix and match. The end goal is the same — the strongest ideas will be selected as finalists.

No. The $50k is for you and your team members. Sure, if you want to use it to kickstart your Webby-winning idea, go for it. If you want to use it towards another fantastic idea, you can use it for that as well. How you use the prize money is up to you.

Yes, that’s the brief exactly. How would you utilize 5G internet to fix a problem or provide a solution to something that has evolved over the last few years as a real problem in the world.