The 'father of fiber optics' has passed away at 84.

September 28, 2018

1 Min Read
In Memoriam: Sir Charles Kao

Sir Charles Kao, known affectionately as the "father of fiber optics," died on Sunday in Hong Kong at 84 years old.

Kao's research and development in the 1960s led to the optical networking world we live in today and was a key figure in developing the market that was Light Reading's focus when it launched in 2000. (See Fiber Optics Pioneer Wins Nobel Prize.)

You can read a detailed obituary of Kao, who shared the Nobel Prize for Physics with Willard Boyle and George Smith in 2009, on the Optical Society website.

Given his key role in optical networking developments, Kao was inducted into the Light Reading Hall of Fame in 2012. Check out the following video, starting at 02:58, to see what we had to say about Kao's achievements: Light Reading's Hall of Fame: Class of 2012.

— The Editors, Light Reading

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