WiFi as we know it today was invented and first released for consumer use in 1997, when the IEEE 802.11 standard was created. This committee developed the basic specifications for wireless local area networks (WLANs), enabling wireless data transfer between devices at 2 megabits per second. The WiFi Alliance coined the name "WiFi" and started certifying devices for compatibility in 1999, the same year WiFi routers became available for home use. However, the origins of WiFi technology trace back much further. In the late 19th century, Heinrich Rudolf Hertz proved the existence of electromagnetic waves, laying the foundation for wireless communication. Guglielmo Marconi built upon this by transmitting radio waves over long distances in the 1890s, which was a significant early milestone towards wireless communication. Further important developments took place in the 20th century, including the invention of frequency hopping by Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil during World War II, which prevented signal jamming and contributed to modern wireless technologies including WiFi. In 1971, the ALOHAnet was launched, representing the first wireless network for data transmission, and in 1991, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. approved the unlicensed use of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, which are now widely used by WiFi. Australian scientist Dr. John O'Sullivan and his team at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) made a crucial contribution in the 1990s by developing core technology that made wireless LAN fast and reliable, which became part of the WiFi standards. In summary:

• The official WiFi standard (IEEE 802.11) and consumer WiFi were introduced in 1997 and 1999 respectively.
• The technology grew from foundational discoveries about electromagnetic waves in the late 1800s.
• Important technological milestones in the mid-20th century and contributions from the 1970s through the 1990s were critical in enabling WiFi as we know it today.