802.11b: You Can Call It Wi-Fi

      Wi-Fi is a trade name supported by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance to further the adoption of 802.11b, a standard for low-power relatively short-range communications. It stands for "`wireless fidelity."
      Wi-fi uses the 2.4-Ghz microwave band designated by the FCC for unlicensed, low-power use in 1985. The original 802.11 standard was adopted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 1997. The 802.11b standard emerged in 1999. Short-range networks based on 802.11b are being widely deployed in airports, hotels, conference centers and some restaurants.
      Newer standards for faster wireless, local-area-network communications — 802.11a and 802.11g, for example — are in the works.

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