The genesis of WiFi and its applications

<!--HTML-->In 1985 changes to US regulations caused a paradigm shift by permitting the use of radio spectrum for devices that did not need to have an end-user license. After a few years, products appeared on the market and a group developed a standard for broadband wireless communications among computers. The presentation will explain how the standard developed and was adopted by the Wi-Fi Alliance, as well as the global harmonization and expansion of the available radio spectrum to over half a GHz. The success of Wi-Fi and user innovation and initiatives makes it a vehicle to bring broadband internet to rural areas both in developing as well as in developed countries. Vic Hayes is a Senior Research Fellow at the Delft University of Technology and is writing a book titled "The genesis of Wi-Fi and the road toward global success". He holds a BSEE and joined NCR in the Netherlands in 1974. He co-established and chaired the IEEE 802.11 Standards Working Group for Wireless Local Area Networks and became known as the "Father of Wi-Fi". After chairing the WG, he successfully mobilized the computer industry to support the agenda item for 455 MHz of spectrum at co-primary allocation on the agenda of the World Radio Conference 2003. In October 2003, Vic retired from Agere Systems. For his pioneering work on Wi-Fi, Vic is the recipient of the Innovation Award 2004 of "The Economist", the Dutch Vosko Trophy, 2 Wi-Fi Alliance Leadership Awards, The IEEE Standards Medallion, the IEEE Leadership Award, the IEEE Hans Karlsson Award and the IEEE Steinmetz Award.