Media Advisory: UH Mānoa College of Engineering ALOHAnet 50th anniversary symposium

WHAT: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Engineering will host a virtual symposium open to the public, honoring the 50th anniversary of ALOHAnet, a pioneering computer networking system that debuted at UH Mānoa in 1971. 

WHY: All wireless communications today—including mobile, satellite, cellular and WiFi—utilize the protocol developed in the ALOHAnet system to establish an initial link. In June 1971, ALOHAnet was the first system to transmit data to a computer using radio waves as it provided interisland access to computing facilities at UH Mānoa. ALOHAnet provided the first public demonstration of a wireless packet data network and led to the development of Ethernet and personal wireless communication technologies.

Visit the College of Engineering website to learn more about ALOHAnet’s history.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 16, 8 a.m.–1 p.m.

WHERE: Via Zoom. Register here.

PROGRAM: 

Introductory Remarks (8 a.m.) 

• Brennon Morioka (Dean, UH Mānoa College of Engineering)

• David Lassner (President, UH System)

• David Ige (Governor, State of Hawaiʻi) 

The meaning of Aloha (8:15 a.m.)

• Pono Shim (President and CEO, Oʻahu Economic Development Board) 

Keynote Presentations (8:30 a.m.) 

• Celebrating Norman Abramson with an introduction by his wife, Joan Abramson

• Frank Kuo (ALOHAnet co-creator)

• Vint Cerf (Google) and Bob Kahn (Corporation for National Research Initiatives)

Panel: Memories of Creating ALOHAnet (9:30 a.m.) 

• Tony Kuh (Professor, UH Mānoa College of Engineering)

• Alan Okinaka (ALOHAnet technical staff)

• Chris Harrison (ALOHAnet technical staff)

• Dennis Streveler (ALOHAnet technical staff) 

Panel: ALOHAnet’s Impact on Academia (10:30 a.m.) 

• Moderator: Tony Ephremides (Professor, University of Maryland College Park) 

• Robert Gallager (Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

• Len Kleinrock (Professor, University of California Los Angeles)

• Bruce Hajek (Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) 

Panel: ALOHAnet’s Impact on Industry (11:15 a.m.) 

• Moderator: Monisha Ghosh (CTO, Federal Communications Commission)

• Bob Metcalfe (Professor of Innovation, University of Texas)

• Charlie Bass (Chairman, Socket Mobile, Inc.)

• Ram Chandran (Vice President, Anacom Inc.)

Closing Session (12:15 p.m.) 

• IEEE ComSoc President Vincent Chan: ALOHAnet in Modern Times

• Dean Brennon Morioka: scholarship announcement; mahalo message

For more details, visit the UH Mānoa College of Engineering website.