Wireless networking has become a crucial component of our everyday lives, with Wi-Fi technology integrated into a wide array of devices such as smartphones, laptops, and smartwatches, making internet connectivity feasible almost anywhere. The rise of Wi-Fi represents a remarkable technological leap in recent decades.
Interestingly, Australia claims to have invented Wi-Fi, which could yield significant financial rewards. However, a closer examination reveals a more complex situation.
Australia’s link to Wi-Fi can be traced back to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), a national agency that engaged in extensive research, including wireless networking technologies during the 1990s. The CSIRO proudly claims to be the organization that “Brought WiFi to the world,” a fact often celebrated within the country.
Nonetheless, Wi-Fi’s story is multifaceted. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) set up a working group for 802.11, which culminated in the public release of the 802.11-1997 standard in 1997. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, multiple organizations, including the CSIRO, were developing wireless networking technologies, but the CSIRO was not part of the team that created 802.11, which originated from NCR Corporation/AT&T in the Netherlands in 1991.
The original 802.11-1997 standard, proposed by Lucent and NTT, functioned at 2.4GHz with a maximum bitrate of 2 MBit/s, utilizing frequency-hopping or direct-sequence spread spectrum technology. This standard eventually evolved into the quicker 802.11b in 1999, which operated at 11 Mbit/s. The following 802.11a standard operated at 5GHz and utilized a modulation technique based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).
The CSIRO’s role arose from its internal research in wireless networking. They filed patents in 1993 and 1996 for a Wireless LAN utilizing multicarrier modulation to reduce multipath interference in indoor environments. However, these patents detailed operations at frequencies above 10 GHz, which greatly diverged from the typical IEEE Wi-Fi standards. Even though the CSIRO sought partnerships, including the startup Radiata, which was later acquired by Cisco, their technology didn’t achieve widespread acceptance.
Steve Jobs showcased wireless networking on a popular laptop in 1999 without acknowledging the CSIRO’s inputs. Consequently, due to the differences in frequency and methodology between the CSIRO’s patents and the modern Wi-Fi technologies, their actual influence on Wi-Fi’s creation remains a topic of debate. While the CSIRO asserts it played a significant role in Wi-Fi’s development, it did not technically invent the technology itself. The agency held patents for wireless LAN technology and claimed that its techniques formed the basis of Wi-Fi standards, leading to demands for compensation from various companies, resulting in considerable settlements. Despite these legal disputes, there remains contention regarding the originality of the CSIRO’s techniques compared to existing modulation methods.
Although the CSIRO patented various wireless networking technologies, it did not create Wi-Fi as is commonly assumed. The organization clarified on its website that it invented Wireless LAN, not Wi-Fi. However, the media persists in misrepresenting the CSIRO’s contribution to Wi-Fi’s development. The ongoing debate surrounding patent rights and compensation for standards the organization didn’t directly influence is likely to continue. The misunderstandings about the CSIRO’s role in Wi-Fi development will probably endure until a clear historical account is made available.
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