History of Wireless: Norman Abramson

Norman Abramson

Pioneered Wireless Computer Communications

Norman Abramson, (April 1, 1932) is an American engineer and computer scientist, best known for developing the ALOHAnet® system for wireless computer communication. First operational in 1971, ALOHAnet was the first wireless packet data network. The network employed a contention-based method of media access with acknowledgements and re-tries based on random back-off intervals. These key elements of ALOHAnet are much of the basis for the Carrier-Sense multiple Access protocols that are the foundation of Ethernet and a Wi-Fi® wired and wireless networking.

In 2007 he was awarded with the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal honoring "exceptional contributions to the advancement of communications sciences and engineering” in the field of telecommunications.