WiFi has become a sort of breathing apparatus in the digital era that allows us to survive the interconnected world. This technological advancement paved way for us to do things easily such as send emails, video call a friend or family from anywhere in the world, shop right in the comfort of our own homes, do business transactions quickly, do online banking, or find movies to binge-watch. From personal to work-related stuff, the Internet gives us several opportunities.
While WiFi is not going to disappear in the near future or any time now, technology will still constantly call for advancement. Given the limitations of radiofrequency-based systems, it is only logical for experts to anticipate the direction of our current wireless network connection. This led to the development of emerging LiFi technology.
What Is Li-Fi?
Light is the main source of Li-Fi or Light Fidelity to transmit data in real-time. It is a wireless communications technology that is set to deliver a heap of advantages to our digital world. LiFi has the ability to transmit wireless internet communications at very high speeds a hundred times faster than WiFi.
How Does LiFi Work?
In 2011, University of Edinburgh Mobile Communications Professor Harald Haas presented and introduced the revolutionary LiFi technology during his TEDGlobal Talk. This tech uses LED light bulb essentially as a router that can perform data transmission faster than a cellular tower. Haas is also a co-founder of the leading VLC company in the world – PureLiFi.
How LiFi works is not as complex as the current tech. It is bidirectional and just needs an infrared light source to send and receive signals.
LiFi is not just for household use but it can be tweaked to meet the high demands of bigger institutions such as hospitals, schools, pharmaceutical industries, workplaces, businesses, airports and planes, disaster management, augmented reality, and the defense industry.
Advantages of LiFi Technology
High data speed
Among the highlights and biggest advantages of LiFi technology is its capacity to drive bigger bandwidths and higher data rates. Experts and developers have seen LiFi perform at 1Gbps real-time speed. According to them, this technology has a maximum potential speed of up to 224 Gbps.
That max speed is equivalent to 18 movies of 1.5 Gb each in just a single second!
Security against attacks
Data of communication with LiFi is in line of sight (LOS), therefore, it is highly secured and cannot be easily breached. The LiFi signal only covers the low region and does not pass through the walls. Unauthorized people cannot access it or interfere with the data transmission. WiFi, on the other hand, is still vulnerable and susceptible to hacking and snooping.
Low Cost
Another leverage of the latest LiFi technology is its cost efficiency. LiFi-connected devices consume only low power for operation because it only uses the same electricity or power that the light fixture is already using.
Less Environmental Impact
LiFi technology does not use radio waves which means there is no RF radiation which can cause a lot of health concerns. It is also regarded as a green tech for device-to-device communication.
