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It is a week of celebration for APC, with two of our closest friends and internet pioneers joining the Internet Hall of Fame. Mike Jensen and Ermanno Pietrosemoli are two of the latest recipients of this honorary lifetime achievement award administered by the Internet Society (ISOC), which recognises individuals who have made significant contributions to the development and advancement of the internet.
Among the publicly distinguished “visionaries, leaders and luminaries who have made significant contributions to the development and advancement of the global Internet” is APC co-founder Mike Jensen, who built some of the earliest networks to connect the non-profit sector, and played a key role in establishing network connectivity for developing countries in Africa and around the world. Among his achievements was co-founding Canadian internet service provider "The Web" in 1986 (prior to the World Wide Web and graphical user interfaces), which was dedicated to the non-profit sector. He is currently APC's internet access specialist.
"I feel privileged to be part of such an esteemed group, and happy that APC now counts four Hall of Fame members among its ranks. I look forward to recognising many more future inductees for helping to bring the remaining half of the world fully online", Jensen said, in conversation with APC.
Telecommunications professor and founder of APC member Escuela Latinoamericana de Redes (EsLaRed) Ermanno Pietrosemoli was also recognised as a Global Connector at the Internet Hall of Fame. Pietrosemoli was instrumental in building the Universidad de los Andes' direct connection to the internet backbone in Homestead, Florida, and holds the world’s record for the longest Wi-Fi connection at 382 km. He has been promoting low-cost data communications technologies for internet access by teaching in many countries, as well as building wireless links in many others.
"My thanks to APC and to the International Development Research Centre from Canada, for its support to develop training materials and conduct long distance WiFi experiments", Pietrosemoli said during his acceptance speech.
As the Internet Society celebrates 25 years of advocacy for an open, globally connected, and secure internet, it continues to recognise “some of the trailblazers who have fuelled the internet’s historic growth.” Jensen and Pietrosemoli are APC’s latest awardees as Global Connectors, joining internet pioneers Anriette Esterhuysen and Karen Banks, a great recognition and incentive for APC to keep working on a free and global internet worldwide.
