Hands off our brand, Wi-Fi body warns 'white space' tech firms

Don't call wireless networks that operate at frequencies formerly reserved for TV transmissions "Wi-Fi", the owner of the brand has warned. The Wi-Fi Alliance doesn't like the idea that chip makers and other tech companies promoting products that operate in the electromagnetic spectrum's "White Space" zones are pitching their …

[Bakunin]

I don't think it means what you think it means

Perhaps it's a good thing to stop confusion before it sets in. It's not at all uncommon for the average person to use technical terminology incorrectly.

People say they have "wireless broadband" and "the internet" is synonymous with "the web". It would be nice to avoid fielding the support question "Why doesn't this new Wi-Fi work with my old Wi-Fi. It's the same thing!!"

[Tyson Key]

Blame the marketing people for such ridiculous conflation. They're the same folks who're lazily trying to make people think that SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) isn't an acronym, too...

[ArmanX]

Ah, yes...

"Using the Wi-Fi brand for such uses, the organisation reckons, will just confuse folk because they won't necessarily work with all the official 802.11a, b, g and n-based kit out there."

Because a, b, g, and n all play so nicely together as it is... sigh.

Perhaps they could rebrand Wi-Fi as Wyfy?

[John Sims]

how about?...

Wi-Sigh