Verizon named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024

Verizon announced it has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024.

This year’s list shines a spotlight on businesses that are shaping industry and culture through their innovations. These organizations are setting new standards and achieving remarkable milestones in all sectors of the economy. Alongside the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, Fast Company recognizes 606 organizations across 58 sectors and regions.

Verizon is being recognized as #1 in the Corporate Social Responsibility category for its commitment to the development and use of innovative new technology like drones, robotics and more to help maintain mission-critical communications during disaster response operations.

“When responsible business is at the core of operations and used as a driver of growth and innovation, every stakeholder benefits,” said Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon. “We have a long-standing commitment to innovating on behalf of the communities we serve to keep people connected to the things that matter most wherever and whenever they need.”

With nearly 600 deployable assets already available to support public safety agencies and first responders nationwide, Verizon recently debuted three new innovative deployable assets that are highly portable and designed to deliver mission-critical communications to first responders and the communities they serve.

The first of the new assets is the compact Verizon Rapid Response Connectivity Unit. It’s just over six-feet long, two-and-a-half-feet wide and is built for versatility, portability and ease of use. It is designed to be deployed by one person in fewer than 15 minutes and is capable of delivering secure and reliable voice and internet service for first responders under austere conditions.

The second new asset is Verizon Frontline’s Mobile Connectivity Agile Vehicle, a modified electric motorcycle capable of providing first responders with mission-critical communications capabilities when operating in areas that traditional vehicles and larger deployable assets can’t reach.

These prototypes were created in partnership with first responders as part of the Verizon Frontline Innovation Program. This program is designed to develop new and unique solutions that can leverage Verizon’s network to help first responders do their jobs more safely and efficiently.

Verizon also recently introduced another innovative new mobile asset. Called Mobile Onsite Network-as-a-Service (NaaS), the solution delivers a private network, private mobile edge compute (MEC), SD WAN, and satellite connectivity to customer locations. The 10-foot portable trailer was developed with dual-core network capabilities supporting both 4G and 5G standalone functionality. It also provides scalable, reliable 5G and edge compute that can be managed locally by enterprise and public sector customers for enhanced operational flexibility just about wherever they need it.

The World’s Most Innovative Companies stands as Fast Company’s hallmark franchise and one of its most anticipated editorial efforts of the year.

Fast Company’s editors and writers identified the companies driving progress around the world and across industries, evaluating thousands of submissions through a competitive application process. The result is a globe-spanning guide to innovation today, from early-stage startups to some of the most valuable companies in the world. Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies package is available online, as well as in-app form via iTunes, and on newsstands beginning March 26. The hashtag is #FCMostInnovative.

“Our list of the Most Innovative Companies is both a comprehensive look at the innovation economy and a snapshot of the business trends that defined the year,” said Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “We saw extraordinary innovation across the board in 2023, but we also saw a handful of clear patterns: the growing footprint and impact of AI, the triumphant return of live events, and great leaps forward in climate tech. We face daunting challenges on many fronts, but the solutions we celebrate in MIC give me plenty of hope about the future.”

Fast Company will host the Most Innovative Companies Summit and Gala. The summit features a morning and afternoon of inspiring content, followed by a creative black-tie gala including networking, a seated dinner, and an honoree presentation. This event celebrates the Most Innovative Companies honorees and provides an inside look at cutting-edge business trends and what it takes to innovate in 2024.