Wi-Fi Turns 25

Remember the days before Wi-Fi, when you were tied to your computer? Maybe not! The 25th anniversary of the development of Wi-Fi was a recently celebrated milestone. Many people were involved in making Wi-Fi happen, including our own Professor Ted Rappaport. When he was at Virginia Tech, Ted was asked to conduct studies on how wireless signals behave indoors. At that time, little was known about this, especially in locations where there are many metal parts, such as car factories, and how that might interfere with signal reflections. Following the studies, the information was taken to a gathering that evolved into the first IEEE 802.11 meeting. Initially thought to be almost impossible to accomplish, Wi-Fi today carries the majority of all wireless data.

You can find out more about the 25th anniversary of Wi-Fi here.