What data transmission rate is specified by the IEEE 802.11b wireless standard?

The IEEE 802.11b wireless standard specifies a maximum data transmission rate of 11 Mbps. This standard, released in 1999, was one of the first wireless networking standards to achieve practical speeds suitable for general use. It operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and utilizes the Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) method to encode data, allowing for a consistent and reasonably fast wireless connection. The 11 Mbps transmission rate allows for adequate data throughput for activities such as web browsing and email. Understanding this data rate is fundamental when discussing wireless networking capabilities and comparing different standards, such as 802.11g and 802.11n, which offer faster transmission rates.