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Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi is a method of connecting a device to a network by way of a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection. Wi-Fi connectivity is most commonly utilized in the connection of a personal computer to the Internet but can also be used to connect mobile devices, MP3 players, Internet radios, video game systems, and a number of other devices to wireless networks. Wi-Fi is used in commercial businesses such as coffee shops, restaurants, and Internet cafés with established “hotpots;” public spaces; municipal buildings; private homes; colleges, universities, and corporations; and some city-wide wireless networks. The history and development of Wi-Fi can be traced back to the 1980s and since the late 1990s has achieved wide popularity through common usage in Wi-Fi hotspots. The relevance and effect of Wi-Fi on social networking and interconnectivity has been substantial.

History and Development of Wi-Fi

In 1985, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made available for unlicensed usage a portion of the broadcasting spectrum used for wireless communications, colloquially referred to as the “garbage bands.” As opposed to licensed usage of the broadcast spectrum in which a specific licensee such as a radio station, television station, or emergency communication system broadcasts only on a specific frequency, the unlicensed portion of the spectrum was made available for technological experimentation in wireless communications without the need to license and secure specific frequencies and bandwidths. The allocation of the “garbage band” portion allowed multiple users to operate within the same frequencies without technological or legal ramifications. This prompted the development of two-way wireless communication technologies such as Wi-Fi and commercial cellular communications.

Wi-Fi connectivity is based on 802.11 standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), an international nonprofit organization, which first published the 802.11 standards in 1997. The IEEE developed the standards but does not regulate commercial usage of the technology; that is the domain of the Wi-Fi Alliance, a trade group comprised of several commercial technology corporations including Apple, Panasonic, Motorola, Sony, and Cisco. The Wi-Fi Alliance was first formed in 1999 under the name Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA). In 2000, the organization changed its name to the Wi-Fi Alliance, reflecting its commitment to the Wi-Fi brand. In order to carry the “Wi-Fi” logo, manufacturers of wireless devices must be members of the Wi-Fi Alliance, and their products must gain certification based on technological, security, and authorization standards. Despite assumptions that Wi-Fi is short for “wireless fidelity,” this has never been officially stated by the Wi-Fi Alliance and is more a cultural allusion to the term hi-fi rather than a shortened term for “wireless fidelity.”

Usage of Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi connection of a device is made by way of a wireless local area network (WLAN). A Wi-Fi connection must include two defined components: a station (a computer, mobile device, video game, MP3 player, or printer) and an access point (a base station connected to a wired LAN or another computer defined as an access point). Like a wired local area network (LAN) connection, the device connects to a modem or network by way of an intermediary device, but does so wirelessly. Unlike a wired LAN device, there is no limit to the number of devices that can connect at a single time. This has made possible the development of Wi-Fi “hotspots” at commercial businesses such as restaurants and coffee shops, where customers can connect laptop computers and mobile devices to the Internet either at no charge or for a fee while at the establishment.

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