The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, abbreviated IEEE, publishes the 802.11 standards used by Wi-Fi networks. The standards define wireless local-area networking at the physical and data-link layers.
The IEEE 802.11 Working Group develops technical specifications for how wireless stations communicate, including radio frequencies, channel behavior, data rates, and security-related mechanisms. Different generations use amendments such as 802.11b, 802.11n, 802.11ac, and 802.11ax.
Wi-Fi is a certification and branding program operated by the Wi-Fi Alliance, not the name of the IEEE organization. The alliance tests products for interoperability and authorizes Wi-Fi branding, while IEEE publishes the underlying technical standards. This distinction explains why “Wi-Fi” and “802.11” are closely related but not identical terms.