Fred Baker is an American engineer and Internet pioneer, best known for his role as Chair of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) from 1996 to 2001. Throughout his career, he has focused on the development of Quality of Service (QoS) technologies for the Internet, making significant contributions to standards such as Differentiated Services (DiffServ) and Integrated Services (IntServ), which are essential for network traffic management. He also participated in the development of the IPv6 protocol. He worked as a Cisco Fellow, one of the company's highest technical positions, and is the author or co-author of numerous RFCs (Request for Comments) that have defined the architecture and operation of the network. For his fundamental contributions to the evolution of the Internet, he has received prestigious awards, including the IEEE Internet Award, and was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2021, testifying to his lasting impact on the global digital infrastructure.