What is Wi-Fi and Why is it so Important?
We depend on it to do our jobs, learn, and communicate with others. It facilitates our primary sources of entertainment and ensures we’re always up-to-date with the lastest events. And although we barely think about it, we fly into a full-blown panic as soon as we lose it.
It is, of course, the Wi-Fi. And given how crucial Wi-Fi has become to modern life, it’s something we should all try to understand a little better. So here’s a look at what Wi-Fi is, how it works, and the role it will play in creating a future that everybody can be a part of.
What is Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi is a wireless technology that connects computers, tablets, mobile phones, and wearable devices to the internet. Because there are no cables or wires, Wi-Fi provides users with mobility. It means devices (and people) can move around while still staying connected to the network.
Wi-Fi is the reason why we can catch up on work during a train journey, reply to an urgent email from our mobile phones, or facetime family members from anywhere in the world near a Wi-Fi hotspot.
How does Wi-Fi work?
Smart devices and most computers have a wireless network card built-in. A wireless network card is a small chip that acts as a receiver and transmitter between devices and a Wireless Access Point (or WAP.)
The WAP is a stand-alone piece of hardware, such as a router, which in turn connects to the internet. These WAPs create small, localised fields in which devices can send and receive digital data via radio waves. The radio waves aren’t particularly strong, which is why most routers have a maximum range of 46 metres indoors and 92 metres outdoors.
Benefits of Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is a convenient way to access the internet while we’re on the move. It means we can be more productive and work in different ways. For example, an increasing number of workers have gone remote. Rather than wasting time and money on commutes or setting up ‘real’ offices, they’re getting the job done or running businesses with just a laptop and Wi-Fi connection.
Wi-Fi provides real-time information faster and more efficiently. This could be as simple as a traffic warning about icy roads. Alternatively, it might be an alert on a breaking news story, helping us stay informed and updated. And with 98% of social media users having at least one active app on their phone, Wi-Fi technology has turned Twitter and Facebook into emergency outlets for sharing critical information.
The COVID-19 lockdowns emphasised the value of Wi-Fi. Along with apps like Zoom and Slack, it allowed many businesses to continue operating, protecting jobs and livelihoods.
Wi-Fi allowed us to stay in touch with (and even see) our loved ones while still keeping each other safe. Virtual quiz nights and Christmas Day Zoom calls were ways of maintaining our social bonds during one of the most stressful and isolating periods of recent history. It’s no surprise that some tech commentators began calling Wi-Fi the umbilical cord to the outside world.
The future of Wi-Fi
In 2020 the UK government announced a £250million wireless digital strategy. It aims to build more competitive, innovative, and diverse telecommunication networks. The ambitious project has already made additional spectrums available – the radio waves for sending and receiving information – to enable the rollout of 5G and other future networks, such as 6G. 5G is now available in over 100 UK towns and cities, and it’s on course to cover the majority of the population by 2027.
5G promises substantial financial and social advantages for the UK. The hyper-speed technology will support faster networks that have the potential to transform key sectors across the economy. And it will revolutionise mobile internet access, powering a host of new technologies and applications in travel, finance, entertainment, social media, and healthcare.
Wi-Fi and digital inclusion
Mobile networks are the ‘rails’ that connect people to our increasingly digital world. As such, it’s fair to say that digital connectivity is no longer just a service. Instead, it’s becoming a utility. One day it may even be considered a fundamental human right. Without it, future citizens could be shut out of public conversations, lose access to essential services, and miss out on a range of life-improving opportunities.
Around 1.5million homes in the UK have no active internet connection. People without access to the web are more likely to be on low incomes or financially vulnerable, situations which are often exacerbated by their digital exclusion. The inability to get online quickly and cheaply impacts job searches, applying for universal credit payments, enrolling in educational programmes, or booking medical appointments.
The UK has a stark digital divide. And unless it’s bridged soon, millions of UK citizens are at risk of being left even further behind.
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