Kathmandu- Internet pioneers from across South Asia were honored in Kathmandu during the 44th edition of the South Asian Network Operators Group (SANOG) conference for their outstanding contributions to the growth and expansion of internet services in the region.
The three-day conference, which began on Sunday, recognized individuals from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan who played a pivotal role in bringing internet access to the public and advancing commercial internet services long before the internet became an essential part of everyday life.
This year’s Internet Enablers Awards were presented to Dilip Agrawal (Nepal), Neeraj Sonker and Suchit Nanda (India), Tariq Mustafa (Pakistan), Sumon Ahmed Sabir (Bangladesh), and Jichen Thinley (Bhutan).
According to a statement issued by Internet Enablers, the award recipients were instrumental in laying the foundation for internet connectivity and digital infrastructure across South Asia. The organization previously recognized Nepal’s Gaurav Raj Upadhyaya, the founder of SANOG, as an Asia-Pacific internet pioneer.
Nepal’s recipient, Dilip Agrawal, founded WorldLink in 1995 with a single personal computer and a modem. Under his leadership, the company has grown into Nepal’s largest internet service provider, serving most districts across the country and carrying nearly half of Nepal’s internet traffic.
The statement highlighted that Agrawal led WorldLink’s transformation from dial-up internet services to Metro Ethernet and helped build one of Nepal’s largest Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) networks. The company’s expansion of high-speed broadband to remote regions, including Karnali Province, has been credited as a key factor behind Nepal achieving one of South Asia’s highest broadband penetration rates.
Among the other awardees, Neeraj Sonker was recognized for helping launch India’s first commercial internet service, GIAS, through VSNL in 1995, while Suchit Nanda introduced thousands of users to online communication through Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) before commercial internet services became available in India.
Bangladesh’s Sumon Ahmed Sabir received the award for his three decades of contributions to internet development, including his role in building BDCOM, while Bhutan’s Jichen Thinley was honored for his pioneering work in the country’s early internet development and GSM mobile network expansion.
The concept of Internet Enablers was introduced following the first regional internet conference held after the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative aims to recognize engineers, network operators, educators, and technology pioneers whose contributions laid the foundation for today’s digital infrastructure while preserving the history of the internet across the Asia-Pacific region.
