Communications security

Li-Fi Could And Should Be Tomorrow’s Technology

Li-Fi is a category of Visible Light Communication; a LED light flickers at speeds undetectable to the naked eye to transmit data – somewhat like a fast morse code that uses light. In fact, scientists have demonstrated in a lab that they can transmit information at as much as 224 gigabits per second, the equivalent of 18 movies of 1.5 GB each being downloaded every single second. In an office setting, they were able to achieve speeds up to 100 times faster than average WiFi speeds.

The LED lights require very little energy, and can be powered by a standard ethernet cord. Inventor Harald Haas has also suggested that the smart lights could be powered by solar cells charging batteries. In addition, Li-Fi does not create electromagnetic interference the way Wi-Fi does, meaning it could have important applications in sensitive locations.