The real ethernet: the transnational history of global wi-fi connectivity

Rikitianskaia, Maria (2022) The real ethernet: the transnational history of global wi-fi connectivity. New Media & Society. ISSN 1461-4448

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Abstract

Wi-Fi is an integral and invaluable part of our media practices. Wireless networks are blended into our media environment and, in terms of infrastructural importance, have become comparable with electricity or water. This article offers a new transnational perspective on the underexplored history of IEEE 802.11 standards by focusing on the tensions between the United States and Europe in terms of development trajectories of wireless technology. The goal is to analyze the standardization of wireless networking through a transnational lens and to contribute to enhanced understanding of the global proliferation of Wi-Fi technology. Four particular aspects of the transnational development of Wi-Fi technology are discussed: the rivalry between US and European standards, the constitutive choice to focus on data transmission, radio spectrum availability, and the peculiarities of network authentication.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://journals.sagepub.com/home/nms
Additional Information:	© 2022 The Author
Divisions:	Media and Communications
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications T Technology > T Technology (General)
Date Deposited:	16 May 2022 15:42
Last Modified:	08 Apr 2024 00:42
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/115112

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