Wide Area Networks (WANs) are networks that cover a geographically wide area, connecting computer systems and network devices across multiple cities, countries, or even continents. They are primarily used by businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions to facilitate data communication between different locations. WANs cover a much broader range than Local Area Networks (LANs) and use various transmission technologies and protocols for high-speed data transfer. The internet is one of the largest WANs, serving to connect the entire world.