AMPRnet cofounder Brian Kantor, WB6CYT, of San Diego, California, has died unexpectedly. He retired 2 years ago after 47 years of service on staff at the University of California, San Diego. Kantor and Phil Karn, KA9Q, founded AMPRNet — the TCP/IP over amateur radio network — in the 1980s, and Kantor continued to manage it until his death. He recently created and served as chair and CEO of Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), a charitable foundation funded by the sale of unused AMPRNet IPv4 addresses.

ARDC promotes STEM education and amateur radio digital development through scholarships and by funding the development of open-source hardware and software. It recently announced its first grant, to Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS).

Kantor was also a key player in AMSAT’s early internet presence and acted as the primary contact with AMSAT’s domain registrar until 2018.