LiFi stands for Light Fidelity and it is a network that evolved from optical wireless communication concepts. In such a network, data is travelling from light sources to light receivers in the form of non-harmful visible light (400nm to 700nm). To achieve this, a transmitter LED light, works as a diode switching on and off many thousand times per minute, as it translates data to a light emitting sequence. The light is then captured by a nearby light receiver facing the LED or a reflection and is put back together as data for the user to enjoy. LiFi is also a bidirectional technology, which means that a user can send data from their receiver to the network. The receiver sends data to LiFi via infrared. Using LiFi to share data in an internet network requires light, but LiFi LED lights, can still transmit data in a night mode state of 60 lux. Sunlight is another condition that LiFi can fully combat, since the receiver can completely ignore sunlight.
Is LiFi faster than WiFi?
In controlled environments LiFi can reach speeds up to 100 Gbps, and utilizes the much wider spectrum that is available to visible light technology. Fast speeds and wide spectrum mean, more users are sharing content at the same time with no delay. Radio frequency wireless technologies, like Wi-Fi, don’t have such an advantage. In future network installations, crowded by IoT devices and application utilities, having access to such a broad empty channel, will be life-saving. Mobile device vendors are aware of this shift that will happen in the following years and LiFi VLC technologies will soon be standard in certain vendor devices.
Is LiFi safe to use in Hospitals and Airplanes?
In hospitals and in airplanes, the use of RF based technology, Wi-Fi for example, is not allowed, because electromagnetic waves can interfere with each other presenting unwanted results. Using the visible light spectrum for optical communications, does not affect any of the RF sensitive equipment. This presents a future opportunity for places like hospitals, where any doctor or patient that is connected to a network, will be able to move from Wi-Fi to LiFi connected areas without sacrificing wireless connectivity.
Is LiFi in use?
LiFi, as a bidirectional means of network communication, is limited. However, one-way communications using VLC technology are in practice. A grocery store in France uses VLC to detect where the customers are inside the store and provide them with promotional content. Bidirectional use of LiFi, is more complex and is limited to aircrafts in airline companies. However, efforts to make it accessible to the general public, present significant results every day. LiFi is being tailored to suit a broad spectrum of needs, not only the ones of institutions and applications that are safety driven.
Is LiFi secure?
Institutions that handle sensitive data all over the world could benefit greatly if they had access to a clean secure channel to communicate. LiFi is privileged in that data can be contained into a room and visible contact with the LiFi LED, can determine the exact position of each network user.
What is a LiFi dongle?
To use LiFi as a bidirectional means of communication, the user must connect a dongle to their device. The LiFi –XC dongle supports all desktop operating systems, offers speeds up to 42Mbps, supports up to 8 stations, offers Cisco UPoE integration and many other features. The use of a dongle further restricts access to a network only to those users allowed to use it.
When there are restrictions regarding life safety and security, LiFi bidirectional networking devices can solve the problem, providing a high efficiency and an easy to maintain set of network devices. LiFi networks and sub networks are close to be introduced in the near future changing the way we think of networks and wireless communication.