The invention of Wi-Fi is often credited to multiple countries, with significant contributions from Australia, the Netherlands, and the United States. However, the core technology that made wireless LAN fast and reliable was invented in Australia by John O'Sullivan and his team at CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) in the early 1990s. This team patented a key technology that became part of Wi-Fi standards. Meanwhile, the Netherlands had earlier contributions with NCR Corporation and AT&T inventing WaveLAN, a precursor to Wi-Fi, around 1991. There is no single country that can be credited exclusively, but Australia's CSIRO has a prominent role in developing the technology that became modern Wi- Fi.
Key Points about Wi-Fi Origins:
- Australia (CSIRO) developed critical wireless LAN technology in the early 1990s and secured patents in 1992 and 1996.
- The Netherlands contributed earlier wireless communication technology (WaveLAN) relevant to Wi-Fi's development.
- The IEEE 802.11 standard for Wi-Fi was first released in 1997, based on work from multiple global entities.
- The invention is a result of collaborative developments across multiple countries and organizations.
Thus, Australia is widely recognized for the invention of the core Wi-Fi technology, but the Netherlands and the US also played important roles in its evolution.
