Boreal Access

Wifi stands for Wireless Fidelity and is the common term used for a wireless network.  A Wifi network starts with a transmitter, or Access Point, which broadcasts a wireless signal over a small area, kind of like a radio station broadcasts radio signals.  Just as you need the right kind of receiver (ex. an FM radio) to pick up the radio broadcasts, you need a the right kind of receiver in order for your computer to pick up a Wifi broadcast.  This receiver can be called a Wifi card, wireless networking card, 802.11b or 802.11g card, etc.

One use for Wifi is to provide Internet access.  Boreal uses a Wifi network to broadcast the Internet over much of Grand Marais and a couple hotspots in Lutsen.  If you have a wireless networking card of some sort, either installed in your computer or installed in a wireless bridge which is connected to your computer, and you're close enough to a transmitter to receive the signal, you can get high-speed Internet access this way.

You can also use Wifi to create a home network, allowing your computers to communicate with one another and share an Internet connection without having to be wired together.

These sites - http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/municipal-wifi.htm and http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm - have a lot of great information about wireless networking, or Wifi.