[AWARDS]

Ashutosh Sabharwal Rice University

Editor: Robert LiKamWa

2017 SIGMOBILE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS AWARD: Norman Abramson Citation: Fundamental contributions to the theory and practice of random access wireless networking.

r. Norman Abramson is the of a conventional Comsat channel to link networks, mobile ad hoc networks, sensor 2017 SIGMOBILE Outstanding these two early networks to ARPANET in the networks, etc. ALOHANet was more than DContributions Award recipient, Continental United States. just a protocol; it was a fully functional granted for significant and lasting Both the ALOHANet within Hawaii system in deployment usage. The first time contributions to the research on mobile and PacNet covering the Pacific were based anyone showed this was possible has indeed computing and communications and upon the use of Dr. Abramson’s novel become a historic moment in hindsight. wireless networking. There are few instances random access communication architecture It is important to admire the fact that in the world of science and technology and protocol. Communication networks ALOHA’s elegance lies in its simplicity. where one individual and one idea have with this general structure are referred to ALOHA had practically zero configuration produced such a monumental impact on an now as ALOHA networks. Today, ALOHA- complexity, avoided over-engineering, was array of problems in practice as well as in type protocols are used in all wireless mobile easy to deploy with technologies of the fundamental theory. For that reason, many standards and almost all two-way satellite day and was robust to the harsh wireless of us would be puzzled by the fact that Dr. data networks. As well, ALOHA channels transmission environments. Thus, its Abramson has not received this award yet. led directly to CSMA/CD and CSMA/CA simplicity and robustness became the engine Many of us had simply assumed that he protocols, which provided the basis for of its enormous success. must have received this honor already! both Ethernet and Wi-Fi. Random access Beyond technical contributions, Dr. Dr. Abramson is best known for his work protocols are also used in cellular networks Abramson mentored many PhD candidates, on a wireless packet network, ALOHAnet, and, in short, are practically part of every who, in turn, have delivered groundbreaking developed at the University of Hawaii. wireless network design. results and mentored numerous future ALOHAnet became operational in June 1971 Equally important are Dr. Abramson’s high-impact researchers. According to the and was the first public demonstration of a results that developed the theory of random Math Genealogy Project website, just two of wireless packet data network. The ALOHAnet access ALOHA channels, providing a Dr. Abramson’s students, Thomas Cover and used UHF to provide a terrestrial wireless foundation to study and design random Robert A. Scholtz, have 321 descendants. data network within the state of Hawaii in access based networks systematically. His And, as one navigates Dr. Abramson’s 1971. In 1973, the ALOHA System used VHF work made innovative use of broadcast academic tree, it is easy to appreciate the and ATS-1, an experimental NASA satellite, channels and opened up this new area for tremendous impact he has had on the field to establish PacNet, an international satellite research and development. In short, he beyond his technical contributions. data network connecting NASA in California delivered a one-two punch on both theory In closing, it is an honor for our whole and five universities in the USA, Japan, and design of random access channels. The community to celebrate Dr. Abramson’s and Australia. Also in 1973, the ALOHA reader should pause to appreciate that this contributions with this award from ACM System pioneered the unconventional use was in 1971, before the arrival of cellular SIGMOBILE. n

December 2017 | Volume 21, Issue 4 GetMobile 15