Wi-Fi technology allows communication between devices wirelessly via electromagnetic waves. Due to its ease of installation and operation it has become one of the most popular wireless technologies, and is widely used in home networks, replacing the wired connection from the user terminal to the router or modem that gives access to the Internet. It is also expanding its use in other locations such as cafes, hotels, transport stations or metropolitan access points. Currently, many electronic devices have Wi-Fi connectivity to access the Internet (computers, smartphones, tablets, televisions, video game consoles, etc. ). This development and implementation has been facilitated by the absence of prior administrative authorization for the use of the frequencies on which Wi-Fi technology is based.
The National Frequency Allocation Table establishes the frequency bands and other technical characteristics under which the use of the frequencies is considered to be in common use and does not require any administrative procedures.
The maximum speed and range of Wi-Fi connections depend on the version of the standard used according to the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. Currently, the most widespread standards are those corresponding to IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g and IEEE 802.11n standards that allow speeds of up to 11 Mbit/s, 54 Mbit/s and 150 Mbit/s, respectively. The new version of the standard, IEEE 802.11ac, will allow theoretical speeds of more than 800 Mbps.
The range of a Wi-Fi connection is around 30 meters indoors, and can reach more than 100 m outdoors. Both the speed and range of Wi-Fi access may vary depending on the number of users simultaneously connected to the same access point, obstacles between the user and the access point, and other factors that may reduce the speed and range of connections.