Wi-Fi Standard Established
The IEEE 802.11b wireless networking standard was published, forming the basis of Wi-Fi
September 16, 1999
The Standard That Cut the Cord
In September 1997, the IEEE — a global organization that sets technology standards — approved the first 802.11 wireless networking standard. This was the technical foundation for what we now call Wi-Fi. The standard allowed devices to communicate wirelessly at speeds up to 2 megabits per second. It was slow compared to today, but the concept of untethered internet access was revolutionary.
Wi-Fi Alliance and Mass Adoption
In 1999, a group of tech companies formed the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, later renamed the Wi-Fi Alliance. They chose the brand name "Wi-Fi" and began certifying products to ensure they worked together. That same year, Apple included Wi-Fi as an option in its iBook laptop — one of the first mass-market computers to do so. Coffee shops, airports, and hotels quickly began offering wireless internet as a selling point.
Wi-Fi's Role in the Modern World
Today, Wi-Fi is in billions of homes, schools, businesses, and public spaces. Every smartphone, laptop, and smart home device relies on it. Without the 802.11 standard, the internet of things, remote work, and mobile computing would not exist as we know them. Australian scientist John O'Sullivan, whose team contributed key technology, is widely credited as a co-inventor of Wi-Fi. The story of this standard is a reminder that the technologies we take for granted were once carefully engineered decisions made by committees of engineers. Use year progress to see how far we've come.