The term "Wi-Fi" was a play on "Hi-Fi" (High Fidelity), which was a recognized term for high-quality audio reproduction. However, "Wireless Fidelity" was a retroactive attempt to explain the name. Phil Belanger, a founding member of the Wi-Fi Alliance, has stated: "Wi-Fi" doesn't stand for anything... The name was created by Interbrand... we needed something a little catchier than "IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence."

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The Wi-Fi Alliance owns several registered trademarks, including:

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