Wide area network

A wide area network (WAN) refers to a data communications network which geographically covers distances greater than one kilometer. The Internet interconnects these networks, making it the world's largest WAN, or "network of networks". s connected through cellular data services have since become a commonly used form of wide area networking.

History
The first known wide area network was created by the in the late 1950s to interconnect sites in the  (SAGE) radar defense system. Early WANs were built on existing telephone lines. Dedicated serial lines were used to improve performance over long distances.

In 2007, the first iPhone accessed cellular network data through EDGE, an advancement of early 2G technology. The iPhone 3G was launched in 2008 with faster 3G technology. The iPhone 5 was launched in 2012 with LTE (4G) technology. The iPhone 12 lineup was launched in 2020 with 5G technology, rivaling broadband speeds. Some cellular carriers allow iPhones to share their Internet connection to Macs and PCs.