The History of Wi-Fi

Wi‑Fi didn’t just appear one day — it’s the result of wartime innovation, Cold War engineering, and a handful of brilliant, unlikely pioneers. In this class from wifi-U’s Wireless Essentials Program, we trace the remarkable journey from early spread‑spectrum experiments to the creation of the first 802.11 standard in 1997.

This is the first session in the Wireless Essentials program, designed to give you the historical and technical foundation behind the wireless systems we rely on today.

With over 18 billion wireless devices in use worldwide, understanding where Wi‑Fi came from is more important than ever.