City-wide Wi-Fi

In the early 2000s, many cities around the world announced plans to construct city-wide Wi-Fi networks. There are many successful examples; in 2004, Mysore became India's first Wi-fi-enabled city and second in the world after Jerusalem. A company called WiFiyNet has set up hotspots in Mysore, covering the complete city and a few nearby villages.

In 2005 Sunnyvale, California, became the first city in the United States to offer city-wide free Wi-Fi and Minneapolis has generated $1.2 million in profit annually for its provider.

In May 2010, London, UK, Mayor Boris Johnson pledged to have London-wide Wi-Fi by 2012.Several boroughs including Westminster and Islington already have extensive outdoor Wi-Fi coverage.

Officials in South Korea's capital are moving to provide free Internet access at more than 10,000 locations around the city, including outdoor public spaces, major streets and densely populated residential areas. Seoul will grant leases to KT, LG Telecom and SK Telecom. The companies will invest $44 million in the project, which will be completed in 2015

Campus-wide Wi-Fi

Many traditional college campuses in the United States provide at least partial wireless Wi-Fi Internet coverage. Carnegie Mellon University built the first campus-wide wireless Internet network, called Wireless Andrew at its Pittsburgh campus in 1993 before Wi-Fi branding originated

In 2000, Drexel University in Philadelphia became the United States's first major university to offer completely wireless Internet access across its entire campus.

Direct computer-to-computer communications

Wi-Fi also allows communications directly from one computer to another without an access point intermediary. This is called ad hoc Wi-Fi transmission. This wireless ad hoc network mode has proven popular with multiplayer handheld game consoles, such as the Nintendo DS, Playstation Portable, digital cameras, and other consumer electronics devices. Some devices can also share their Internet connection using ad-hoc, becoming hotspots or "virtual routers".

Similarly, the Wi-Fi Alliance promotes a specification called Wi-Fi Direct for file transfers and media sharing through a new discovery- and security-methodology.Wi-Fi Direct launched in October 2010.