Talking about Wi-Fi and mobile data has become an absolutely everyday occurrence, both concepts being related to connectivity.
Before analysing how they differ, let’s see what exactly it consists of and what types of connectivity exist.
What is it and what types of connectivity exist
In the world of telecommunications, connectivity is understood to be the ability to connect and communicate between different systems or devices in order to exchange information and thus establish a direct connection through digital information.
There are two types of network connectivity: fixed or wired connectivity (such as fibre optics, ADSL or Ethernet) and wireless connectivity (which includes WPAN, WLAN, WMAN and WWAM networks).
The wireless category includes the two concepts that we are going to analyse in this article: Wi-Fi and mobile data.
Wi-Fi: what is it?
WiFi has a curious origin in the 1990s while a group of Australian scientists were analysing radio emissions from black holes.
It is a technology that allows different electronic devices to connect seamlessly with each other using radio frequencies.
Wi-Fi networks function as mechanisms for two-way communication between the aforementioned devices and the routers through the use of IEEE 802.11 protocols that generate efficient connections.
Wireless connections have a number of advantages (such as cost savings, range or ease of installation), although due to the number of users there may be saturation or interference, there may be vulnerabilities in open or public Wi-Fi networks or the speed may be slower than via cable.
Mobile data: what is it?
Mobile data, measured in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB) – one thousand megabytes to the second – refers to the connectivity that facilitates access to the Internet and the use of various services from a mobile phone without the need to depend on a Wi-Fi network.
When mobile data is activated and used on a device, it is accessed through the mobile service provider’s network in order to send and receive information.
From anywhere with mobile coverage, therefore, it is possible to browse the Internet, play audiovisual content, access applications or manage email.
These mobile data are consumed in the use of the Internet by sending and receiving information, and their volume of expenditure depends on the type of use that is being made of them.
Difference between mobile data and Wi-Fi
Although it is true that both mobile data and Wi-Fi enable access to different functions from a smartphone, their main difference lies in how the connection signal is received.
Connection via mobile data is made through wireless networks such as 4G or 5G, with the advantage that Internet access can be used anywhere and at any time as long as there is mobile coverage.
On the other hand, connecting to a Wi-Fi network generates a signal from a wireless router: if the device is within range of this router, the device will connect automatically. Because it has to connect to this router, its range is limited.
Another difference can be found in security: both mobile data and private Wi-Fi networks do not have to present problems; however, public or open networks can present challenges in this area.
