People Barely Realize What Wi-Fi Really Means…and the Answer Might Surprise You
Whether you’re working from home or streaming Netflix, you’ll be more than aware of the value of a fast, reliable Wi-Fi connection.
But have you ever stopped to think about the meaning of the word and what it can actually represent?
Some may have heard it stands for ‘wireless fidelity’ – much like how Hi-Fi stands for ‘high fidelity’.
But one of the founding members of the Wi-fi Alliance tried to dispel the myths of this origin, and the truth may surprise you.
But you might be surprised to find out what WiFi stands for – or presumed WiFi was short for “Wireless Fidelity”
Phil Belanger said: ‘It’s not an acronym. There is no meaning”.
He explained that some people working in the tech industry just wanted a less complicated name to refer to the IEEE 802.11 standard technology.
“We needed something a little more catchy than ‘IEEE 802.11b direct sequence,'” he explained.
“The Wi-Fi Alliance engaged Interbrand to come up with ideas, and the brand consultancy came up with 10 names, including Wi-Fi (which sounds a lot like ‘hi-fi’, AKA ‘high fidelity’).
He explained that the incorrect etymology of the word was a direct consequence of the clumsiness of his colleagues.
“The only reason you hear about ‘Wireless Fidelity’ is because some of my bandmates were scared.”
“They didn’t understand branding or marketing. They couldn’t imagine using the name “Wi-Fi” without having some sort of literal explanation.
Phil explained that some people working in the tech industry just wanted a less complicated name to refer to the IEEE 802.11 standard technology.
“So we made a compromise and agreed to include the tagline ‘The Standard for Wireless Fidelity’ with the name.
“It was a mistake and only served to confuse people and dilute the brand.”
In addition to this disconcerting revelation, it turns out that, according to the tech expert, the term “wireless fidelity” is also meaningless.
Phil dubbed it “a clumsy attempt to find two words that could go with ‘Wi-Fi’.
He added: “Although the slogan ‘The Standard for Wireless Fidelity’ appeared in early communications and swag around 2000, the Wi-Fi Alliance chose to drop it after about a year or so.
“So we were smart in hiring Interbrand to come up with the name and logo. We were stupid to confuse and dilute their efforts by adding the meaningless tagline,” he concluded.
Phil urged: “Please help reinforce the good work we’ve done and forget the tagline.”
Did you know that Wi-Fi means nothing? Let us know below.
