collocation · neutral
public Wi‑Fi network
UK/ˈpʌblɪk ˈwaɪfaɪ ˈnɛtwɜːk/US/ˈpʌblɪk ˈwaɪfaɪ ˈnɛtˌwɝk/PUB·lic WI·fi NET·work
a wireless internet connection that is available for the public to use in places like cafés or airports
Examples
“Many travellers use the public Wi‑Fi network at the airport to check flight updates.”
“Avoid online banking on a public Wi‑Fi network unless you use a secure VPN.”
“The café offers free access to its public Wi‑Fi network for customers.”
Band 8 sentence
“When travelling I avoid entering sensitive information on a public Wi‑Fi network unless I'm connected through a reliable VPN.”
Collocations
- use a public Wi‑Fi network
- avoid public Wi‑Fi networks for sensitive transactions
Word family
Common mistakes
use the public Wi‑Fi→use a public Wi‑Fi network
on public Wi‑Fi network→on a public Wi‑Fi network
Say it for a higher band
5free Wi‑Fi→6public Wi‑Fi→7+public Wi‑Fi network
Synonyms
free Wi‑Fi
Easily confused
private Wi‑Fi network
“I always prefer using a private Wi‑Fi network at home for online banking.”
Related words
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In Technology & Internet
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