What the name "Wi-Fi" really means: you will be amazed

"Can I get a Wi-Fi password ?" is probably one of the most popular questions of recent decades. In the era of digitalization and the latest technologies, many new terms have emerged, and it's hard to imagine life without daily access to the Internet. But have you ever wondered what Wi-Fi means?

We use this word every day in one way or another: in the office, at home, on the road, in coffee shops. However, according to the Mirror, most people misunderstand the meaning of the term.

Phil Belanger, who is one of the founders of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, now best known as the Wi-Fi Alliance, explained that "Wi-Fi" was just one of 10 names proposed by Interbrand, a leading global agency that was hired by the alliance to find the perfect name and design a logo.

"We needed something more attractive than 'IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence'. Interbrand has created Prozac, Compaq, Oneworld, Imation, Vivato, and many other brands you've probably heard of," Belanger said.

It's a popular belief that Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity, just as Hi-Fi stands for high fidelity.

Belanger said that Wi-Fi is not an acronym; in fact, the term means nothing at all.

"The only reason you hear anything about 'Wireless Fidelity' is that in the 1990s, some of my colleagues in the group didn't understand branding or marketing. They couldn't imagine using the name "Wi-Fi" without having a literal explanation. So we agreed to include the slogan "The Standard for Wireless Fidelity" along with the name," Belanger explained.

The expert added that he considers this slogan to be a clumsy attempt to find two words that could fit "Wi-Fi." And when Wi-Fi became extremely popular, the Wi-Fi Alliance abandoned the slogan.

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