The original 802.11 Wi-Fi standard had a maximum theoretical data rate of 2 Mbps.
IEEE 802.11 was first published in 1997. It defined wireless local-area networking in the 2.4 GHz band and supported theoretical rates of 1 or 2 megabits per second. Actual throughput was lower because of protocol overhead, interference, signal conditions, and shared access to the radio channel.
Later amendments greatly increased Wi-Fi speeds. 802.11b reached 11 Mbps, 802.11a and 802.11g reached 54 Mbps, and later generations introduced much higher theoretical rates through techniques such as multiple antennas and wider channels.
The original standard is sometimes confused with the first commercially popular Wi-Fi versions. The 1997 specification established the foundation, while 802.11b helped bring wireless networking into broader consumer use.