With regard to electromagnetic waves, which are the basis for wireless communications, it was James Clerk Maxwell who, by continuing electromagnetic induction studies begun by Michael Faraday, first derived the electromagnetic field equations (1864) and predicted the existence of electromagnetic waves. Later, Hertz detected the electromagnetic waves generated by electrical oscillations (1887) and showed (1888) that the speed, reflection, refraction, and polarization characteristics of electromagnetic waves are identical to those of light. The discovery of electromagnetic waves was key to the development of wireless telegraphic communications.