On November 13, 2013 in London, my friend Vic Hayes was awarded the 2103 Lovie Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of “his contributions and guidance while chairman of the IEEE committee that created the 802.11 standard radio frequency for broadcasting a Wi-Fi signal”. The award was presented by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.

The Lovie awards, named after Ada Lovelace, the legendary first software writer, are not well known in the US. They “recognise the unique and resonant nature of the European internet community – from Europe’s top web and creative networks and content publishers to cultural and political organisations and bedroom bloggers.” The citation for Vic says

His work helped to usher in the age of the ubiquitous Internet, providing users with Ethernet-free connections and a brand new sense of connected mobility. That freedom led to countless innovations in hardware and software that have set the standard for the modern Internet age.

Congratulations to Vic on this wonderful recognition! I was honored that he chose this occasion to mention my role also in his discussion of the origins of Wi-Fi. See the video below at 2:30

Tags: Wi-Fi History