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What is LiFi?
Li-Fi stands for Light Fidelity. Using this system it is possible to transmit information through ultraviolet, infrared and visible light. Instead of radio waves, i.e. light, information is transferred here. For this purpose, light-emitting diodes or LEDs are used. Digital signals are emitted by LED lights and captured by photodetectors in various devices. The fidelity of light was first introduced by Harald Haas, a German professor of mobile communications, in a 2011 TED Global Talk.
LiFi has a band frequency of 200,000 GHz, which is 100 times faster than Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi has a maximum speed of five gigahertz. It is said to be capable of transferring more than 200GB of data per second. The fastest Wi-Fi can transfer up to 7GB of data on the 60GHz band.
For connectivity you can use bulbs similar to the LED ones used for home and office lighting. Street lights, internet access, streaming from your laptop and phone to your TV screen, and transferring files between devices.
LiFi uses visible light communication or VLC instead of the radio frequency spectrum. The visible light spectrum is 1000 times larger than the 300 GHz radio spectrum, microwaves and mm waves.
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Advantages of LiFi
Speed: It is estimated that light can transmit information over 100 times faster than radio frequency. This means that if Wi-Fi is 1GB per second, it will increase to 100GB per second in LiFi. LiFi is ideal for applications such as 4K video streaming, virtual reality, and sending large files.
Range: Wi-Fi signals can travel beyond walls and obstacles, allowing for greater connectivity. But LiFi has a limitation as LiFi connectivity is only available where there is an Internet light source. If the light is only inside a small room, only there. However, with the help of a light source installed in a large room, LiFi can also provide connectivity throughout the room. For this reason the light source and the fixture should be positioned in direct line of sight
Security: LiFi is ahead of WiFi in terms of security. LiFi networks that rely on light sources cannot penetrate walls, so other unauthorized outsiders cannot penetrate the network. This makes LiFi ideal for strategic government offices and financial institutions.
It also avoids fears that the radio waves used for Wi-Fi could cause health problems. LiFi Internet can be used in places where radio waves are dangerous even with the help of light.
No interference: The LiFi network is not affected by the activity of nearby 4G and 3G Wi-Fi waves. And viceversa. So it can be used to bring connectivity inside aircraft. It does not affect other radio signals in the aircraft.
Multiple devices: Connecting and using multiple devices on a Wi-Fi network can affect network speed. The latency time required for an instruction to reach its destination and return will also increase. But LiFi has no such obstacles. But LiFi offers continuous connectivity even when busy. For purposes like video meetings and interactive gaming, you can rely on LiFi as the fastest network.
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When can it be used?
LiFi technology is not fully developed. It is still in the early stages of development. A lot of research is underway in this field to identify a secure technology that can be used to replace Wi-Fi. However, very few companies sell Li-Fi devices. But they are prepared only for certain specific purposes.
Existing Wi-Fi router companies may also soon switch to Li-Fi technologies. LiFi transmitters can be integrated into ceiling-mounted light bulbs and other lighting fixtures in homes. Having devices with Wi-Fi and Li-Fi technologies together will also help improve connectivity. Efforts are being made for all this.
Several companies are already working in this field. Professor Harald Haas, who first introduced LiFi in a TED talk in 2011, is the CSO of PureLifi. In this field there are several companies such as Panasonic, Signify Holding B.V., OLEDcom etc.
The Indian company Wellmenni works on the basis of LiFi technology. They developed a Li-Fi-based mesh system capable of transmitting data over long distances.
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Difference between LiFi and WiFi
Looking at the comparisons between WiFi and LiFi, it would be very difficult to choose one over the other as they both have their own merits – and drawbacks. That's why we need to adopt a different mindset and look at these technologies in a different way. A big misconception about LiFi systems is that it was created to replace WiFi altogether. Considering that most of the existing infrastructure has already been built to accommodate RF technology, it would be very expensive and tedious to replace all of the infrastructure to make way for newer technology. For this reason, LiFi should be seen as a complementary technology that aims to improve the performance of existing technology and provide relief to the already congested radio spectrum used to provide WiFi connections.
