Top mobile carrier Smart Communications has been nominated in a record 4 categories in the upcoming GSMA Asia Mobile Awards 2009.

The carrier becomes the only mobile operator in the Philippines to received the major nominations from industry body GSMA.

Smart has been cited to vie for the Best Mobile Advertising or Marketing, Best Mobile Money Service, Mobile Money for the Unbanked Award, and The Green Mobile Award.

The carrier’s efforts, particularly in the mobile money space, has been receiving positive attention from the global industry.

In September, Smart has recently become one of the first four global operators and the only Philippine telco to receive the Mobile Money for the Unbanked Fund (MMU) grant from the
GSMA. Smart will reportedly use the fund to roll-out its Island Activations Program to provide mobile commerce solutions in 40 remote islands with no access to financial services.
GSMA, the global trade association of mobile operators worldwide, targets to extend mobile services to 20 million unbanked people by 2012.

Its MMU allocates a US$5 million fund over a 2-year period for commercially viable, sustainable, mobile operator-led projects deploying mobile money services for mass markets in developing countries. Other MMU grant awardees include AXIS in Indonesia, Oi in Brazil, and Roshan in Afghanistan.

Last year, SMART piloted the Island Activations Program in Polillo Island, Quezon Province when the only rural bank in the area went bankrupt and the telegraphic transfer center stopped operating. The nearest bank was three hours away by boat.

The GSMA meanwhile also said Smart will join the shortlist of 40 nominees for the Asia Mobile Awards 2009, which will be presented at the forthcoming Mobile Asia Congress, Asia’s leading mobile communications event that is set to take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, November 18 and 19, 2009.

Judged by independent analysts, journalists and industry experts, the winners of the GSMA’s Asia Mobile Awards will be presented on Wednesday evening, 18th November, at the Mobile Asia Congress Networking Party and Awards Celebration in between live horse races at the famed Happy Valley race course.

The Asia Mobile Awards attracted more than 100 entries this year from companies across Asia and across the mobile value chain, with a wealth of commercially available products, services, content and applications.