Eli5:Is WiFi an actual physical thing? If no, then how do companies charge money for it? If yes, what is it?
In: Other
Trying to keep this more ELI5 than the other answers:
First, I must ask, does “Wi-Fi” and “connection to the Internet” mean the same thing to you? If so, that isn’t correct. The Internet is a bunch of computers around the world connected together. Wi-Fi is nothing more than one of several methods you can use to connect computers together. Think of it as being like a ghost wire that can pass through a couple walls. When you connect to Wi-Fi, all you are doing is plugging a ghost cable between your computer and another one somewhere nearby. That computer *may or may not* be connected to the Internet. If it is, it might share it with you. If not, you won’t get anything. This is why you can be connected to Wi-Fi and still not have an Internet connection sometimes.
Why do you pay a company for Wi-Fi? This could be two different questions.
If you meant, “Why do I pay to be connected to the Internet?”, that’s pretty simple: they own the Internet pipes. When I said the Internet is computers connected across the world, I meant it literally. Physically. There are cables all over the place. Very expensive ones. Someone owns those cables. They had to pay to build them and have to fix them when they break. They also have a limited capacity, so they have to manage who gets to use them, how much, and how often. This all costs a lot of money. If you want to be a part of it, you’re going to have to pay for it. And so, that is why you pay for Internet service.
If you actually meant, “Why does my service provider charge me monthly for Wi-Fi specifically?” (which is indeed a thing some providers do), that’s also pretty simple. In general, when you pay for Internet service, all you need from the provider is the hooked-up cable dug to your house. You will need extra equipment to make any use of it (a modem, a router, and maybe a Wi-Fi access point if you want one) and you’d have to set it up and manage it yourself. OR, if you prefer convenience, you can rent that equipment from the service provider for a monthly fee and they’ll do all the lifting for you. This is probably the preferred option for most customers who have neither the time nor patience to learn how to install, setup, and manage this stuff. But your provider will charge you extra for the convenience.
Latest Answers