Go into any business in Coffs Harbour, particularly a retail business, and you can expect to connect to Wi-Fi. Moreover, just about any CBD in Australia will offer council-run free Wi-Fi. So, how did we get here? The story of Wi-Fi technology began in 1991 with the launch of the world’s first web page. Let’s explore the timeline in more detail.
The Race for Connectivity
What followed was an unstoppable surge of progress. Life as we knew it was about to change, both in personal and professional spheres. Businesses quickly caught on to the internet’s transformative power, recognising its efficiency and cost-saving potential. Furthermore, this sparked a fierce competition to achieve something revolutionary – wireless internet.
Now, enter our very own Richard O’Sullivan, working with the CSIRO in Australia in 1992. He was instrumental in the journey towards what we now know as Wi-Fi technology. It took a couple of decades, but soon, commercial Wi-Fi became as common as a snag at Bunnings on a Saturday.
The Ubiquity of Commercial Wi-Fi
Today, the modern workforce thrives on being untethered. Studies show productivity soars when employees can access work wirelessly, anytime, anywhere. So what’s the current norm? Hot desking and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), enabling a mobile, flexible work environment.
Wi-Fi Technology – A World of Opportunities
The evolution of commercial Wi-Fi, and fast NBN connections, has opened up a universe of possibilities. And it’s getting better all the time. Today businesses expect to be able to send larger and larger files quickly over WiFi. Plus, the number of users demands huge bandwidths to cope with the traffic. The latest Wi-Fi protocol, Wi-Fi 6 has been developed to do just that.
