Wi-Fi: The Invisible Network | SoundHeal

Wi-Fi, a term coined by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) in 1999, has revolutionized the way we connect to the internet. From its origins in the 1970s with the development of the first wireless local area network (WLAN) by Vic Hayes, to the widespread adoption of Wi-Fi 6 in 2020, the technology has come a long way. With a projected 22.5 billion connected devices by 2025, according to a report by Statista, Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly ubiquitous. However, concerns over security, with 75% of companies experiencing a wireless network breach in 2020, as reported by ITPro, and the impact of radiofrequency radiation on human health, with a study by the National Toxicology Program finding a link between RF exposure and cancer in animals, continue to plague the industry. As we move towards a future of 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT), the importance of Wi-Fi will only continue to grow. With companies like Qualcomm and Cisco leading the charge, the future of Wi-Fi is likely to be shaped by advancements in technologies like Wi-Fi 7, which promises speeds of up to 30 Gbps, and the increasing adoption of Wi-Fi HaLow, a low-power, long-range variant of Wi-Fi, with a projected market size of $1.3 billion by 2027, according to MarketsandMarkets.