In many countries, including The United States, Canada, and Mexico, Inseego Corp. (previously known as Novatel Wireless)[1] owns a registered trademark on the "MiFi" brand name; in the United Kingdom, mobile operator Hutchison 3G owns the "MiFi" trademark. Novatel Wireless has never offered an official explanation for the origin of the name "MiFi"; it has been suggested that it is short for "My Wi-Fi".[2]
A MiFi device can be connected to a cellular network and provide Internet access for up to fifteen devices. Inseego Corp. introduced the first MiFi device in the United States in May 2009.[3] In the UK, Hutchison 3G's "MiFi" is a similar product from Huawei with the same name.[4][5]