A new wireless technology called Li-Fi may soon challenge the powers of Wi-Fi as we know it.
Lifted as an acronym for light fidelity, Li-Fi offers a data transfer speed that is purportedly 100 times faster than Wi-Fi. It boasts of 1GB per second at the very least, and is said to be more secure than Wi-Fi.
Li-Fi was invented by Harald Haas, a professor of mobile communications at Edinburgh University. In 2011 he devised a new wireless broadband technology that uses nanosecond flickers of LED lights to send data.
Computer Dealer News says lab tests of the new technology showed its capacity to reach data transfer speeds of up to 224 Gbps. Li-Fi was tested in industrial environments and corporate offices, and proved to be 100 times faster than Wi-Fi.[related-posts]
No word yet on possible bugs that could hinder the development of the project, but start-up Velmenni is already starting the trials for the Li-Fi technology in Tallinn offices.
“[LED] intensity can be modulated at very high speeds and it can be switched off at very high speeds,” Haas said of his new technology’s performance during the TED stage in 2011.
Li-Fi technology needs to be treated differently than Wi-Fi, because it can penetrate solid objects. This new technology requires a receiver to enable it to detect light.
However, since Li-Fi uses LEDs lights, light bulbs in every room can easily act as a transmitter, eradicating the need for penetration.
According to Haas, Li-Fi reduces the potential for unauthorized access and will be able to make use of 10,000 times more spectrum and infrastructure.
Companies that are already using Li-Fi to serve customers include Oledcomm in France, Velmenni in New Delhi, and UK-based pure LiFi.
