It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of David J. Farber, a 2013 inductee of the Internet Hall of Fame, a recipient of the 2009 Jonathan B. Postel Service Award, and a longtime leader within the Internet Society community.
Professor Farber passed away on 7 February 2026 at the age of 91. With his passing, the global Internet community has lost one of its foundational architects and a generous mentor whose influence spans generations of technologists and leaders.
A Builder of the Modern Internet
David Farber played a key role in many of the systems that converged into today’s Internet.
His early academic research work, at the Information and Computer Science Department of the University of California at Irvine, was focused on creating the world’s first operational Distributed Computer System. Later, at the University of Delaware, he helped conceive and organize CSNET—the National Science Foundation’s Computer Science Network—which brought experimental networking technology to academic computer scientists and accelerated its global adoption across academia and industry.
He also helped plan and develop NSFNET and the National Research and Education Network (NREN), initiatives that laid the groundwork for today’s commercial Internet. Alongside Bob Kahn, he co-initiated the NSF Gigabit Testbed effort, pushing the boundaries of high-speed networking research.
He served as Chief Technologist of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (2000-2001) at a pivotal moment in Internet history. He was a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center), ISC (Internet Systems Consortium), BITAG, and the Stevens Institute of Technology.
Service to the Internet Society
Farber served on the Internet Society’s Board of Trustees from 1993–1999 and again from 2012–2015, including service on the Executive Committee and the Finance and Elections Committees. Across decades of involvement, he remained a steadfast defender of an open, trustworthy, and globally connected Internet.
He was also deeply committed to nurturing community dialogue. As the moderator of the IP mailing list, he created space for rigorous, respectful debate about the Internet’s most pressing technical and policy challenges—often before those issues reached the broader public.
In 2009, Farber was recognized with the Internet Society’s Jonathan B. Postel Service Award for his role in the pioneering CSNET initiative. He later served on the award’s Selection Committee, continuing his commitment to honoring leadership that helped shape the foundations of today’s Internet.
A Mentor to Generations
David Farber’s academic career spanned some of the world’s leading institutions and shaped generations of Internet pioneers. He held faculty positions at the University of California, Irvine; the University of Delaware; the University of Pennsylvania; and Carnegie Mellon University, where he served as Distinguished Career Professor of Computer Science and Public Policy with secondary appointments in public policy and engineering.
In 2003, he retired from the University of Pennsylvania as the Alfred Fitler Moore Professor Emeritus of Telecommunications, with appointments in both the Engineering School and the Wharton School. He was also a Distinguished Policy Fellow at the University of Delaware.
In 2018, Farber moved to Japan to become Distinguished Professor at Keio University in Tokyo and Co-Director of the Keio Cyber Civilization Research Center. He also served as Visiting Professor Global at Keio University and, following retirement, as Adjunct Professor of Internet Studies. He continued teaching until shortly before his passing, delivering his final class in January 2026 — a reflection of his lifelong commitment to education and mentorship.
We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and to all who were influenced by his remarkable life and career.
His legacy lives on in the networks he helped build, the policies he helped shape, and the countless individuals he inspired.
