802.11a was one of the first Wi-Fi communications standards created in the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. It is often mentioned in relation to other standards that came later, such as 802.11b/g/n and 802.11ac. Knowing their differences is helpful when shopping for a new router or connecting new devices to an old network that may not support new technology.
Explained: WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
The original IEEE designations have been renamed to avoid consumer confusion. While their new designations are not official, 802.11b is referred to as Wi-Fi 1, while 802.11a is called Wi-Fi 2. This new naming structure, introduced in 2018, currently extends to Wi-Fi 6, which is the official designation for 802.11ax, the fastest and most recent technology.
802.11a and 802.11b were developed at about the same time. 802.11b enjoyed a faster adoption because it was more affordable to implement. They use different frequencies, so they are not compatible. 802.11a found a niche in businesses, while the cheaper 802.11b became the standard in homes.
The 802.11a specification was ratified in 1999. At the time, the only other Wi-Fi technology ready for market was 802.11b. The original 802.11 did not see widespread adoption due to its extremely slow speed.
