Other meanings of Wi-Fi
Technology
Wi-Fi is a family of wireless networking technologies based on the IEEE 802.11 standards, commonly used for local area networking of devices and internet access. It allows devices such as computers, smartphones, and IoT gadgets to exchange data over radio waves, typically within a range of tens of meters. The term 'Wi-Fi' is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance, and it has become synonymous with wireless internet access.
Wi-Fi relies on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which define the physical and data-link layers of wireless communication. The original 802.11 standard, released in 1997, supported data rates up to 2 Mbps using frequency-hopping spread spectrum. Later amendments, such as 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, introduced orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output), and beamforming to increase speed and reliability. Wi-Fi typically operates in unlicensed frequency bands, including 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and, with Wi-Fi 6E, 6 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band provides better range but is more congested, while higher bands offer wider channels and faster throughput.
The term 'Wi-Fi' was coined by the brand consultancy Interbrand in 1999 as a catchier name for IEEE 802.11b, at the behest of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Contrary to popular belief, it does not stand for 'wireless fidelity'; the alliance later stated it is a play on words with Hi-Fi. The first version of 802.11 was released in 1997, but it was not until 1999 that interoperability testing began. The Wi-Fi Alliance certifies devices for interoperability, ensuring that products bearing the Wi-Fi logo meet agreed-upon standards. Sue Greaves, one of the founding members of the alliance, is often credited with driving the initiative forward.
Wi-Fi has become a dominant technology for internet access in homes, offices, and public spaces, with an estimated 19 billion devices in use by 2023. It supports a vast ecosystem, from laptops and smartphones to smart TVs, thermostats, and industrial sensors. Wi-Fi is also critical in education, healthcare, and public safety, enabling telemedicine, remote learning, and emergency response. In developing countries, community Wi-Fi networks have helped bridge the digital divide. However, Wi-Fi faces security challenges, with protocols like WPA3 aiming to address vulnerabilities in earlier encryption standards.
Beyond consumer use, Wi-Fi has specialized applications: it is used in vehicular communication (Wi-Fi Direct), for wireless docking, and even in agriculture for soil monitoring. The IEEE 802.11ah standard, known as Wi-Fi HaLow, operates in the sub-1 GHz band for long-range low-power IoT. Wi-Fi has also been used in microscopic robots and in space; the International Space Station upgraded to Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) in 2019. An early 802.11 predecessor, WaveLAN, was developed at NCR Corporation in 1991. Security researcher Van Jacobson pioneered techniques for packet capture on wireless networks, leading to better network diagnosis. The Wi-Fi Alliance's 'Wi-Fi Certified' program covers not just equipment but also emerging technologies like Wi-Fi Aware and Wi-Fi EasyMesh.
Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance, and the usage of the term is subject to its licensing terms.
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