PureLiFi, a Scottish company, sent files between a laptop and a smartphone using Li-Fi technology at a speed of 42 Mbps. That is the first communication of its kind using light. For data transfer in both directions, a different smartphone casing and a USB receiver plugged into the laptop were used. That is not a record-breaking data rate, but it is achieved by LED light rather than radio waves. By 2021, the market for white light communication devices is expected to be worth 80 billion dollars.
Li-Fi, is not a going to be a substitute for Wi-Fi and 5G technologies
Li-Fi is a technology where high-speed bi-directional light is used for mobile communication and data transmission. This wireless technology is similar to Wi-Fi, except that it uses the frequency of light spectrum,” says Dr. Harald Burchardt, Commercial Director of PureLiFi, in an interview with Newseria Innovation news agency.
The data transmission is performed by modulating the light intensity, which is then received by a photosensitive detector. The communication shall take place in a way which is not visible to the human eye. Thanks to this technology, it is possible to quickly transmit information between various devices using an LED bulb, which acts as a relay.
This technology, in theory, allows for data transfer rates up to 100 times higher than radio-based Wi-Fi. Demonstrations at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona have so far achieved much lower transfer speeds of 42 Mbps for downloading and uploading data. For comparison, LTE radio technology provides general rates of 100 and 50 Mbps respectively, but according to the Speedtest. Pl test, the average speeds obtained in Poland are about 20 and 10 Mbps for downloading and sending data.
How did that technology work?
Using the light spectrum instead of the radio spectrum significantly increases the bandwidth. The light spectrum is more than a thousand times greater than the entire radio spectrum. Light does not penetrate through the walls, which makes it much safer in private connections – says Dr. Harald Burchardt.
The system demonstrated at MWC 2018 in Barcelona requires a smartphone to be placed in a particular case to act as a receiver. The signal is transmitted from the laptop to which the life dongle XC Station is connected. The devices configured in this way are capable of transferring data at a speed of 42 Mbps, which allowed for seamless uploading of the video to a smartphone.
The white light communication system can be used for home use as well as in offices and warehouses. However, its use is not limited to confined spaces.
Typical Applications
The number of applications is virtually unlimited. In fact, wherever there is light, and there is a need for wireless communication, which nowadays means almost always and everywhere, Li-Fi can be used. This technology also works outdoors so that we can use it in smart cities, intelligent buildings, smart homes, taking advantage of all the benefits that light has over the radio,” says the expert.
An example of this unconventional use is the Goodyear Oxygene tire, which communicates with other vehicles, infrastructures and intelligent vehicle management systems via Li-Fi. MyLiFi is a LED desktop lamp that also provides an internet connection to a laptop with a connected receiver via light to the users of MyLiFi. The lamp offers a link that is almost entirely resistant to hacking attacks. The gadget costs EUR 700.
Research conducted by We Are Social shows that in 2017, 3.77 billion people used the Internet worldwide. The leading data transfer technologies shortly will be Wi-Fi and 5G. However, Li-Fi is actively developed by several companies and organizations around the world.
Li-Fi can complement your entire radio infrastructure. It provides additional bandwidth and will allow for much higher bandwidth in mobile networks. However, Wi-Fi and 5G will remain the key technologies to support everyday needs – predicts a representative of PureLiFi.
According to Research and Markets forecasts, the global Li-Fi market is expected to be worth USD 80 billion in 2021.