Li-fi: Internet that's 100 times faster than Wi-Fi
Doug Bolton
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Transmits Data @1GBps Via Visible Light, But It Can't Pass Through Walls
A new type of wireless in ternet technology has be en developed that could provide a connection 100 times aster than traditional Wi-fi.The tech is called Li-fi, and was tested by an Estonian start up called Velmenni. Li-fi is ca pable of sending data at speeds of up to 1GBps, around 100 times aster than most Wi-fi connec ions. At speeds like this, al bums, high-definition films and even video games could be downloaded in seconds.
The speed is down to the way n which it transmits data -by using Visible Light Communi cation (VLC), data is sent betwe en networks by LED lights tha flicker incredibly fast. Howe ver, the technology has one ma jor limitation -because it reli es on visible light to work, it can't pass through walls.
However, this makes the net work much more secure. The dramatically increased speeds make it a big improvement on current technology for some applications as well.
Professor Harald Haas, from the University of Edinburgh pioneered the technology and coined the term Li-fi in 2011, but this is the first time it's been used in a `real world' setting. De epak Solanki, CEO of Velmen ni, said the technology could be rolled out to consumers within the next three to four years. However, due to Li-fi's limi tations, it would be likely to run in parallel with existing technology to increase a network's speed and efficiency . However, if the infastructure catches up, Lifi could become much more widely used, especially if it's transmitted through our lightbulbs.
As Haas said, “All we need to do is fit a small microchip to every potential illumination device and this would then combine two basic functionalities: illumination and wireless data transmission.“ “In the future we will not only have 14 billion light bulbs, we may have 14 billion Li-fis for a cleaner, greener and brighter future,“ he said.
Source: Times of India, 27-11-2015
The speed is down to the way n which it transmits data -by using Visible Light Communi cation (VLC), data is sent betwe en networks by LED lights tha flicker incredibly fast. Howe ver, the technology has one ma jor limitation -because it reli es on visible light to work, it can't pass through walls.
However, this makes the net work much more secure. The dramatically increased speeds make it a big improvement on current technology for some applications as well.
Professor Harald Haas, from the University of Edinburgh pioneered the technology and coined the term Li-fi in 2011, but this is the first time it's been used in a `real world' setting. De epak Solanki, CEO of Velmen ni, said the technology could be rolled out to consumers within the next three to four years. However, due to Li-fi's limi tations, it would be likely to run in parallel with existing technology to increase a network's speed and efficiency . However, if the infastructure catches up, Lifi could become much more widely used, especially if it's transmitted through our lightbulbs.
As Haas said, “All we need to do is fit a small microchip to every potential illumination device and this would then combine two basic functionalities: illumination and wireless data transmission.“ “In the future we will not only have 14 billion light bulbs, we may have 14 billion Li-fis for a cleaner, greener and brighter future,“ he said.
Source: Times of India, 27-11-2015
