Recently, there has been a plethora of debates surrounding a novel technology known as “LiFi,” with shocking claims that LiFi could provide internet connections over 100 times faster than current WiFi services.
LiFi is an internet transmission technology that utilizes LED light to transmit data.
What is LiFi?
LiFi is a high-speed wireless communication technology that uses visible light (currently utilizing LED lights) to transmit information. While both WiFi and LiFi are wireless technologies, they differ significantly; unlike WiFi, which relies on radio waves, LiFi uses visible light communication (VLC) or infrared and near-ultraviolet waves.
In other words, LiFi operates similarly to light emitted from a bulb. So how does it work specifically?
When a constant current is supplied to an LED, small packets of energy (called photons) are emitted, which we perceive as visible light. If the input current fluctuates, the intensity of the light changes as well. However, the human eye cannot detect these minor changes in light intensity. Because LEDs are semiconductor devices, the current and optical output can be modulated at very high speeds, which can then be detected by a photodetector to convert it back into electrical signals.
In this way, LiFi technology uses light from LEDs to transmit data, providing internet connectivity at much higher speeds.
Benefits of LiFi
LiFi offers unprecedented advantages for the absorption and utilization of wireless internet connectivity. Light bulbs are present in every environment you enter. If LiFi technology is based on light sources, then wherever there is light, there will be internet connectivity through LiFi. These light waves can carry much more information than traditional radio waves used in WiFi technology.
This technology mainly relies on a beam of light combined with signal processing technology.
The spectrum of visible light is nearly 10,000 times larger than the spectrum of radio waves. Additionally, LiFi is said to increase bandwidth by up to 100 times what we currently have with WiFi. This remarkable feat is achievable, as LiFi connections can transmit data at speeds of 224 gigabits per second.
However, since LiFi uses light to broadcast the internet, it becomes quite useless in the absence of light. If you have installed a WiFi router in a room in your house, you can connect your devices anywhere in the house, but with LiFi, that is not the case. This technology is also considered less reliable and comes with a higher installation cost.
Nonetheless, while LiFi may transform the world of internet connectivity, it does not mean that WiFi will become obsolete. A more likely scenario is that we will eventually have access to a variety of technologies and will be free to choose the one that suits us best.
