Chicago, IL — The Marconi Society has named Robert Calderbank as the recipient of the 2026 Marconi Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious honors in communications and information technology.
Calderbank is cited “For contributions to the theory and practice of voiceband modems, space-time coding, and quantum error correction.”
For more than four decades, Calderbank’s ideas have quietly powered the way the world connects. His early work helped make it possible for high-speed data to travel over ordinary telephone lines — technology that brought the Internet into homes around the globe during its rapid expansion in the 1990s. More than a billion devices incorporated techniques he helped design.
As wireless communication emerged, Calderbank co-developed breakthrough methods that allowed mobile devices to send and receive data more reliably using multiple antennas — technology that became foundational to modern cellular networks and Wi-Fi. These innovations played a critical role in enabling the mobile Internet era.
His influence extends beyond today’s networks. Calderbank also co-invented key forms of quantum error correction, which help protect fragile quantum information from errors — a fundamental requirement for the future of quantum computing.
Across academia and industry, his work bridges deep mathematical insight with practical systems used by billions of people worldwide. He holds 37 patents, has authored widely cited research, and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Inventors, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
“A warm welcome to Robert Calderbank as the latest Marconi Fellow, in recognition of his fundamental contributions to wireless communications theory,” said Arogyaswami J. Paulraj, incoming Marconi Prize Chair and 2014 Marconi Fellow. “He is a greatly admired role model for many of us.”
“Robert Calderbank’s contributions transformed how the world communicates, from bringing the Internet into homes to advancing the wireless and quantum technologies of the future,” said John Janowiak, President and CEO of the Marconi Society. “Equally meaningful is his commitment to mentoring students and elevating talent from across the scientific community. The Marconi Prize recognizes not only innovation, but the responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders.”
The 2026 Marconi Prize will be awarded at the Marconi Awards Gala & Institute Forums on November 6, 2026, in San Francisco, CA.
About Robert Calderbank
Robert Calderbank is the Charles S. Sydnor Professor at Duke University. A native of northwest England, he began his career at Bell Labs after graduate study at Caltech. His work helped enable more than a billion voiceband modems at the dawn of the Internet, advanced multiple-antenna technology that underpins modern wireless networks, and contributed to the mathematical foundations of quantum error correction.
He previously served as Vice President of AT&T Labs Research, where he helped establish one of the first large-scale communications data research labs. He later joined Princeton University before moving to Duke in 2010, where he founded the Rhodes Information Initiative (iiD) and launched undergraduate +Programs that reach hundreds of students each year. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Inventors, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a recipient of the IEEE Hamming Medal and the Claude E. Shannon Award.
About the Marconi Prize
Established in 1974, the Marconi Prize is the flagship award of the Marconi Society. It is given annually to innovators who bring connectivity opportunities to everyone through the advancement of information and communications technology. Marconi Prize recipients are recommended by an independent selection committee and approved by the Marconi Society Board. Nominations for the 2027 Marconi Prize are being accepted through June 30, 2026.
About the Marconi Society
The Marconi Society builds communities of leaders and stakeholders at the forefront of emerging technology to create a more connected and sustainable world. Through its Institutes in AI, Internet Resilience, and Advanced Wireless, the Marconi Society convenes global experts to advance technologies that benefit society.
For more information, visit www.marconisociety.org.
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Media contact: Yeimidy Lagunas
ylagunas@marconisociety.org | 224-399-7333