WIFI is limited in power by regulation. It puts out electromagnetic radiation just like a light bulb, but is limited to 0.1 to 0.5 Watts and the waves have a much longer wavelength so you can't see them with your eyes. Compare that to the light of a 60W incandescent (or 6W LED) bulb to see how far it goes. WIFI transmitters are like a small LED. Ham radio transmitters might have 1,000 Watts of power and some commercial broadcasters might put out a million watts. I remember a local AM radio station bragging about their "50,000 watt signal" years ago.

Another factor is the way the signal moves across the planet. Longer waves can bounce or refract between the ground and ionosphere allowing them to curve their way around the planet. WIFI wavelengths can't do that, they are too short.

Another consideration is the need to have many simultaneous signals in play. Before cell phones the phone company had mobile phone service but it could only handle a few calls at a time in an entire city. Cell service addressed that by reducing the coverage area by reducing power and breaking up the geography into many small "cells" to handle today's volume of simultaneous traffic.

Normally WIFI covers only a few hundred feet at best in open country but with careful engineering and high gain directional antennas one can concentrate the signal into a searchlight beam and increase range at the expense of breadth. We were able to routinely get reliable 5 mile links using WIFI equipment and, during tests, were able to establish 10 mile point-to-point links but could not maintain them.

I wish I had a NEW INTERNET APP like I mentioned. Although bits and pieces are being talked about and some pieces are showing up in apps and other software I don't believe a complete package exists yet although it is well within technical ability to create it today. I challenge the current generation of knowledgeable and capable people out there to put in the time and energy to craft and make freely available. I'll be glad to help where I can.

Any good suggestions as to what we should call it?