From niche to mainstream: Wi-Fi Alliance® founders share the story behind the early days of Wi-Fi®

Unraveling the history of Wi-Fi^® reveals more than the details of the technology’s evolution – it tells the story of how Wi-Fi became a catalyst for innovation. Wi-Fi has transformed nearly every facet of modern life, changing the way we communicate, work, and socialize, ultimately becoming so ubiquitous that it’s often taken for granted. As we celebrate 25 years of Wi-Fi innovation and impact, we caught up with the people who pioneered Wi-Fi Alliance and this incredible technology to reflect on the unique journey that brought Wi-Fi to life. Read on for the inside story about where it all began from five of the original board members and founders of Wi-Fi Alliance: Phil Belanger, Angela Champness, David Cohen, John Ferrari, and Sarosh Vesuna. 

The early days of connectivity

Ethernet delivered broadband connectivity in the late 1990s, but the technology was cumbersome and tied users to their desks. The demand for connectivity was growing at a breakneck speed, and wireless networking solutions promised an untethered solution. The vision was clear, but ensuring interoperability among devices and brands was a crucial step in making it a reality. “Ethernet at the time was 10 Mbps, and wireless LAN was 11 Mbps,” said David Cohen, currently Principal Product Manager, Technical at Amazon and a co-founder and former Chairman of Wi-Fi Alliance. “We had the technical evolution to get parity with Ethernet to be ready for prime time, but that wasn't enough. We wanted to create an organization that could establish interoperability very, very quickly.” 

The Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) was founded in 1999 with the singular focus of creating a unified, interoperable standard for wireless LAN technologies that could rival Ethernet in its reach and adoption. Led by Phil Belanger, Angela Champness, David Cohen, John Ferrari, Sarosh Vesuna, and Jim Zyren, the organization became Wi-Fi Alliance^® a year later, and the group set out to fulfill their vision of connecting everyone and everything, everywhere.

Navigating early challenges

The tech industry is highly competitive, and the founders experienced this firsthand as they worked to unite fierce competitors under a shared goal: unerring, accessible connectivity. Phil Belanger, currently CEO of PB Ventures Limited and former Chairman of Wi-Fi Alliance from 1999 - 2001, noted, “In the beginning, we were a little bit nervous about working with our competitors. We had to make sure that everything was fair. This collaboration relied on the trust of your competitor in order to move forward.” Fortunately, member organizations quickly recognized the mutual benefits of defining common standards. John Ferrari, the former Nokia executive who was instrumental in Wi-Fi Alliance’s early marketing efforts, reflected on this unique time in tech, “I was in awe at the way that we founders gelled instantly. I don’t know whether that would even be possible today, but I think in our day it just worked.” The trust that developed between competitors was crucial not only for establishing consistent messaging and interoperability processes, but also for securing the resources to fund the organization’s early operations. 

Aside from bringing formal rivals together, the founders faced additional challenges in their mission to establish interoperable, accessible wireless connectivity, from securing funding and domain names to navigating legal and logistical issues. Among these hurdles was the even more complex challenge of educating consumers and businesses about a technology still in its early stages – a key ingredient to achieving the widespread adoption of Wi-Fi. This meant that effective public relations and market positioning were crucial to demonstrating the value of interoperability in Wi-Fi’s early days. “One of the things this organization was supposed to be was a marketing organization and not necessarily developing the standard,” said Sarosh Vesuna, current Executive, Business Partnerships, Strategic Alliances, & M&A who also served as Wi-Fi Alliance’s founding board member, first treasurer, and co-author of the 802.11 MAC protocol. “And one of the things we wanted to have happen is our message ‘going viral’ long before going viral was anything anyone knew about.”

Building success through standards

Implementing the IEEE 802.11 standard ensured that devices from different manufacturers could communicate seamlessly, and the focus on standardization also allowed the team to quickly address security concerns when the discovery of vulnerabilities underscored the need for robust protections. By responding swiftly with Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and later WPA2, Wi-Fi Alliance demonstrated its commitment to ensuring its users’ security, staying ahead of threats, and maintaining consumer trust in this new digital frontier.

Despite initial skepticism from the telecom industry, users quickly recognized the value of Wi-Fi and its innate ability to simplify connectivity. Angela Champness, current CEO of MyDailyLifestyle who previously served on the Wi-Fi Alliance Board of Directors and as Secretary of Wi-Fi Alliance until 2001, shared that major players took notice, including Apple, “Steve Jobs decided to buy the Wi-Fi technology that we had and integrated into the iBook. Of course, as soon as we announced it, every other PC vendor we had been talking to for over a year and a half wanted to integrate the technology.” Other companies like Intel, Dell and Microsoft quickly got on board with Wi-Fi, marking a pivotal step in transitioning Wi-Fi from niche to mainstream, along with the shift from external Wi-Fi cards to built-in chips that are now part of the devices we use every day. 

The next 25 years

The past 25 years of Wi-Fi have seen an unprecedented evolution, and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down. The economics of Wi-Fi and the technology’s decentralized nature allow almost anyone to build on top of it, making Wi-Fi a catalyst for innovation. Emerging Wi-Fi applications offer cutting-edge solutions across verticals, and the use of technologies like Wi-Fi Sensing and Wi-Fi’s continued expansion into low power Internet of Things (IoT) devices will elevate our daily lives, providing the foundation of connectivity for more efficient factory operations, additional safety protections in automotive, accessibility in education and healthcare, and the latest security protections for users around the world. The future of Wi-Fi will be shaped by availability of critical spectrum resources and increasing device performance, and its foundational principles of interoperability and accessibility remain central to its ongoing success. As Sarosh Vesuna noted, “Wi-Fi is truly everywhere,” and we are grateful to our founders for their persistence and commitment to providing connectivity for all as we look toward the technology’s future.