Today we mourn the passing of Tadao Takahashi on 6 April 2022 at the age of 71. Inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2017, Tadao was a critical Internet pioneer in Brazil, working for over 30 years on expanding Internet access in Brazil and beyond. He was one of the co-founders of the Internet Society Brazil Chapter in 1998 and worked tirelessly to advance the organization’s mission.
He was also the founder and former director of Brazil’s National Research Network (RNP), and was a driving force in the effort to coordinate with other national academic networks to build what would become the Brazilian Internet. Additionally he played a key role in the creation of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) in 1995.
We encourage you to read other remembrances of his life:
- Building Connections and Deploying Networks: Remembering Tadao Takahashi (Internet Hall of Fame)
- Morre Tadao Takashi, co-fundador da ISOC Brasil, aos 71 anos (Brazil Chapter, in Portuguese)
- Nota de falecimento: Eduardo Tadao Takahashi, pioneiro de redes no Brasil (CGI.br, in Portuguese)
In the video of his 2017 acceptance speech to the Internet Hall of Fame, he spoke of the history and future of the Internet and Brazil, and called on all of us to help engage with the next generation of Internet leaders. In a related video, he spoke of where he saw the Internet going and his hopes for how the Internet can help bring opportunities to all.
We honor Tadao Takahashi for all his work over many decades to build a bigger and stronger Internet, and to use the Internet to build a better society. Our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all those who knew him.