Victor Hayes

Topic of the talk : The Innovation Journey of Wi-Fi   Abstract: In 1985 the US regulator caused a paradigm shift by permitting the use of certain radio frequencies for devices without the need to have an end-user license. After a few years, products appeared on the market but neither could work with products from other vendors.  In the Innovation Journey of Wi-Fi Vic Hayes explains how the IEEE developed a standard and how the Wi-Fi Alliance started a certification program so that users are sure that devices with the Wi-Fi logo are interoperable independent of vendor. Over time the industry and regulators expanded the radio frequency space to over 500 MHz and globally harmonized the rules. The success of Wi-Fi, user-innovation and community initiatives makes it a vehicle to bring broadband internet to rural areas both in developing as well as in developed countries.

About the Speaker: Popularly known as the “Father of Wi-Fi,” Vic Hayes is senior research fellow at Delft University of Technology in Delft, Netherlands. From its inception in 1990 through 2000, Ing. Hayes chaired the IEEE standards workgroup that defined the IEEE 802.11 set of wireless networking standards, better known as Wi-Fi. The establishment of IEEE 802.11 launched a brand-new, multi-billion dollar industry for wireless, high-data-transfer rate computer communications, enabling people worldwide to access the Internet where they want, when they want, using their laptops, PDAs or other wireless devices.

The Wi-Fi standard has been adopted by countries around the world; communities and countries creating their own networks, more vendors entering the market have caused price competition and lower costs for wireless devices. Mr. Hayes’ leadership is one of the reasons that low-cost, nearly ubiquitous wireless LAN connectivity exists today.

Through his leadership and active participation in various organizations, Ing. Hayes helped bring global recognition of the need for additional spectrum for wireless computer networks. Through the Wi-Fi Alliance he mobilized the computer industry into regulatory activities, with the result that the World Radio Conference 2003 allocated an additional 455 MHz of radio spectrum in the 5 GHz area for wireless access device.