KATHMANDU: South Asian internet pioneers were honored at the 44th edition of the South Asian Network Operators Group (SANOG). The pioneers were recognized during a three-day conference that began on Sunday in Kathmandu.

Engineers and advocates from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, who contributed to expanding public access to internet services, were recognized at the event. The honorees include Dilip Agrawal from Nepal, Neeraj Sonker and Soochit Nanda from India, Tariq Mustafa from Pakistan, Sumon Ahmed Sabir from Bangladesh, and Jichen Thinley from Bhutan.

According to a press release issued by Internet Enablers, these pioneers made significant contributions to bringing internet access to the general public and expanding commercial internet services long before the internet became an integral part of daily life. Internet Enablers had previously recognized Nepal’s Gaurab Raj Upadhaya as a pioneer in the Asia-Pacific region. Upadhaya is the founder of SANOG.

India’s Neeraj Sonker played a key role in launching GIAS, the first commercial internet service via VSNL in 1995. India’s Soochit Nanda introduced online communication to thousands of users via Bulletin Board Systems even before commercial internet service began.

Similarly, Bangladesh’s Sumon Ahmed Sabir was honored for his three-decade-long contributions, including the development of BDCom. Bhutan’s Thinley was recognized for his long-term contributions to expanding early internet and GSM mobile networks, the statement noted.

Dilip Agrawal, recipient of Nepal’s first Internet Enablers Award, started WorldLink in 1995 with a single personal computer and a modem. In a short time, he established the company as Nepal’s largest internet service provider. Today, WorldLink’s service reaches most districts across the country, carrying roughly half of Nepal’s total internet traffic through its network. Regarding Agrawal, the statement noted that under his leadership, WorldLink expanded from dial-up internet to Metro Ethernet and built one of the nation’s largest Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) networks. This played a crucial role in expanding high-speed broadband services to remote areas, including Karnali. His contributions are considered one of the primary foundations helping Nepal achieve high broadband penetration within South Asia.

The concept of Internet Enablers was born during the first regional internet conference following the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the internet currently empowers economies, education, healthcare, and communication, the contributions of many engineers, network operators, educators, and technology advocates who laid its foundation remain largely unrecognized outside the technical community.

To address this, Internet Enablers honors individuals across the Asia-Pacific who build digital infrastructure through technical leadership, vision, and dedication, preserving the history of the internet while supporting the millions of people who rely on their contributions today.