Memorial & Business-History Archive
Peter Munro Roberts
Entrepreneur. Broadband pioneer. Builder of connections.
May 25, 1970 – October 22, 2004
Peter Munro Roberts was a St. Louis technology entrepreneur who helped build and lead companies during the formative years of commercial broadband and enterprise telecommunications.
As the founder and early president of Phoenix Networks, Peter helped deliver high-speed Internet and communications services to residential and business customers across the United States. He later became president of Wanforce Technologies, where he pursued an ambitious national and international expansion in voice, data and telecommunications equipment.
In his own words
“There is no such thing as a Half-Hearted Champion.”
— Peter's email signature at Wanforce Technologies. He lived with intensity, thought boldly and believed that success required complete commitment.
Peter saw opportunity before many people understood how important broadband and interconnected systems would become.
He built companies during a turbulent period when technology, telecommunications and the Internet were changing almost daily. He did not live to see the full development of cloud computing, smartphones, streaming media or today's globally connected digital economy — yet the businesses Peter helped build were part of the infrastructure and entrepreneurial movement that made that world possible.
The Companies He Built
Peter's companies operated in different parts of the telecommunications market, but they shared one purpose: connecting people and businesses.
Founder & Early President · Late 1990s–2000
Phoenix Networks
A national broadband provider delivering residential and business DSL, security, hosting and onsite technical services — acquired by MegaPath Networks in October 2000 during the consolidation of the early national broadband industry.
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President · 2002–2004
Wanforce Technologies
A St. Louis provider of new, used and refurbished voice and data communications equipment that reached roughly $20 million in annual revenue and announced an ambitious national and international expansion under Peter's leadership.
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Where it all began
Twin Brothers at the Beginning of the Internet
Peter and his identical twin, Timothy Munro Roberts, were not merely brothers born on the same day. They were partners in curiosity. While most teenagers of their generation had never used a modem, Peter and Tim were learning how computers could communicate across telephone networks — writing software, operating bulletin-board systems and participating in some of the earliest online communities in the United States.
The basic idea was already there: computers could connect people, information and businesses across great distances. That idea would define both brothers' careers.
A Life in Sequence
From a St. Louis childhood at the dawn of personal computing, through the bulletin-board era, to founding Phoenix Networks and leading Wanforce Technologies — follow the major chapters of Peter's thirty-four years in order.
Explore the timeline →Remembering Peter
Those who knew Peter remember more than company names or business transactions. They remember his personality, his ambition, his humor, his loyalty and the energy he brought into a room.
Visit the memorial →Help Preserve Peter's Story
Peter's life touched family members, friends, employees, business partners, customers and members of the early Internet and telecommunications communities. Personal memories, photographs, Phoenix Networks and Wanforce materials, racing photographs and early BBS materials all help build a more complete record of his life.
Share a memoryThe Roberts Family Sites
Twin Brother
Timothy Munro Roberts
Technology founder, enterprise architect and investor — the official site of Peter's identical twin, Timothy.
timothymunroroberts.com
Father
William “Monty” Munro Roberts III
The definitive life archive of Peter's father — marketing executive, motorsports pioneer and Episcopal minister.
montyroberts.life
Mother
Lora Lee Roberts
The family-curated archive of Peter's mother — artist, writer and serial entrepreneur.
loraleeroberts.com