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ICANN director and African internet pioneer Barrett dies
Kevin Murphy,
May 29, 2026, 09:02:54 (UTC),
Domain Policy
Alan Barrett, a member of ICANN’s board of directors and an internet pioneer in his home of South Africa has died, according to ICANN.
The Org said that Barrett died of recently-diagnosed cancer yesterday, May 28. An online memorial is being planned, but his family have requested privacy in the meantime, ICANN said.
Barrett was involved in setting up the first internet connections to universities in South Africa and the launch of the first commercial ISP there in the 1990s, according to his biography.
He also served as CEO of AFRINIC, the Regional Internet Registry for Africa, from 2015 to 2019.
“Alan was a kind man, who listened to others,” ICANN CEO Kurt Lindqvist wrote on social media. “When Alan spoke you listened as he was always well read, balanced and would suggest a path forward on thorny issues.”
He was the Address Supporting Organization’s two-time appointment to the ICANN board and his second term was due to expire at the conclusion of the 2027 Annual General Meeting.
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