Wireless internet enables wireless connectivity to the internet via radio waves rather than wires on a person’s home computer, laptop, smartphone or similar mobile device. Wireless internet can be accessed directly through providers like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Boingo and Clearwire.
While most wireless internet options lack the high speed of landline broadband Internet connections such as cable and DSL, newer wireless technologies like EV-DO and WiMAX are narrowing the gap, with maximum speeds of up to 100 Mbps in a 20 MHz channel.
Wi-Fi hotspots and wireless LANs are also options for wireless Internet connectivity. In these cases, Internet connectivity is typically delivered to a network hub via a wired connection like satellite, cable, DSL or fiber optics and then made available to wireless devices via a wireless access point.
See “How Wireless Networks Work” in the “Did You Know…” section of Webopedia.
Also see the Wireless Networking Standards.
