Are Wi-Fi networks a thing of the past?

Technology does not stand still, and wireless data transmission standards that were invented not so long ago are gradually losing ground or receding into the background. For example, already today the technology of wireless data transmission using Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) technology is being developed. What this technology is and how it works, we will try to understand today.

A dozen years ago, we were sending images and music through the infrared port on cell phones. This was a type of wireless data transfer that originated earlier than Bluebooth and Wi-Fi, but it operated on the principle of infrared radiation invisible to the eye. The main disadvantage of this technology was the low data transfer rate and the direct connection between the transmitter and the receiver. However, it can be said that this technology gave rise to the development of wireless data transmission technology.

Another wireless light transmission technology that is still being developed and refined today is Li-Fi. With this technology, we can redefine the role of light itself. Imagine a time when every light bulb in your home will be an Internet source. Imagine a scenario where you download about 5 HD movies after standing under a light bulb for a minute. You'll probably say that's unrealistic... But let's try to figure out and understand how to use the light bulb to transfer data.

Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is a fairly young technology. Its creator is considered to be German physicist Harald Haas, who in 2011 used an LED lamp as a router. In laboratory conditions he managed to achieve a transmission speed of 224 Gbps. This speed makes it possible, for example, to download 18 movies of 1.5 GB or even 50,000 photos in one second! The idea was realized thanks to VLC (Visible Light Communication) technology, which allows the light source not only to act as a light but also to transmit information. The data transfer is carried out by LED diodes, whose nanosecond flickering is invisible to the human eye. A DC current is applied to the LEDs to illuminate them. The optical output signal can be changed at a very high rate by rapidly changing the input current. This works as follows: when the LED is on, a "1" is transmitted, and when it is off, a "0" is transmitted.

The term Li-Fi refers to rapid changes in the brightness of light emitted by an LED that are invisible to the human eye. Li-Fi is of great interest today because it uses a wide range of frequencies and wavelengths, from infrared to visible light and up to ultraviolet, including gigabit communication speeds for short, medium and long distances to transmit data.

The Li-Fi Consortium believes that speeds in excess of 10 Gbit/s can be achieved with this optical wireless technology. For all these reasons, in a very short time the word has quickly entered the vernacular as an instantly recognizable alternative to Wi-Fi. Li-Fi could be the technology of the future, where data from laptops, smartphones and tablets is transmitted by light in a room. As such, Li-Fi is a subset of visible light communication and optical wireless communication.

However, it is worth realizing that the light spreads over a small area, which means that Li-Fi stops working when the light source disappears. The scientists and creators of this technology state that it works up to 10 meters from the source (remember that this happens in good conditions).

In today's technological era, security is a priority for all technologies. Li-Fi emphasizes security because light cannot penetrate through walls, so data is protected. Li-Fi uses digital binary code in the process of data transmission, and digital transmission is considered as one of the secure ways to exchange information. Li-Fi is useful in scientific technology due to its high density because the spectrum of light is larger than the spectrum of radio waves. Li-Fi has a high bandwidth, which is almost 10,000 times larger than radio waves.

For any invention to be accepted by the general public in the market, it must be easy to use, have good performance and reasonable price.

Li-Fi meets this need because it uses light as the transmission medium, so it is cheap and efficient, although its initial installation requires some investment, but further maintenance is cheaper than radio wave transmission. In Li-Fi technology, power consumption is very low as light is the only receiver of electricity. Li-Fi also eliminates the health effects of radio waves, and in addition, Li-Fi transmission process uses visible light, which is not harmful in terms of health problems. So it can be said that the benefits of Li-Fi are immense.

Despite the short data transmission distance compared to Wi-Fi, Li-Fi has quite a few applications, and its use will have a much higher priority than other technologies. Let's take a look at a few of these applications to see if this is the case:

1. Aviation. Typically, Wi-Fi is turned off in airplanes because it can affect the aircraft's instruments with radio frequencies, while Li-Fi uses light to transmit information, allowing safe use of the World Wide Web.
2. Transportation and vehicles. We all know that the automotive industry is evolving every day towards smart vehicles that help us get around and may soon replace the driver altogether. Manufacturers expect that with this technology, cars will be able to provide alert information about sudden speed drops on highways, accidents on the road, bad weather conditions and traffic congestion. With the upcoming advent of automated guided vehicles, Li-Fi could become the standard for in-vehicle communication. With the connection of municipal traffic lights and highway message boards to the data transmission system, this application of the technology looks quite promising.
3. Medicine and healthcare. A special feature of Li-Fi light is that it does not cause electromagnetic interference with medical equipment. In addition, the technology is not affected by MRI scanners.
4. Public institutions, banks Wherever security and transmission speed are important, the Li-Fi standard is very useful. Simply turning on Li-Fi for a short period of time is enough to transmit important information from mobile devices that cannot be intercepted.
5. Unsafe production. The use of Li-Fi technology provides a safe alternative to electromagnetic emissions from radio communications in petrochemical plants and mines.
6. Smart lighting: any public or private lighting installation, including street lighting, can be used as a standard Li-Fi access point using the same sensor and communication infrastructure.
7. Smart homes and offices. When it comes to home or office applications, Li-Fi fits perfectly into the smart home concept where we can use a smartphone to automate the operation of appliances, workstations, blinds, heaters, locks and even furniture. Offices with a large number of employees will finally stop having problems with wireless communication.

We believe that this technology not only "has its place", but has every chance to occupy its niche, on par with Wi-Fi. Of course, Li-Fi is not going to replace Wi-Fi because it has its limitations, but it also has huge advantages. Given the ever-increasing demand for communication, Li-Fi technology stands a good chance of rapid adoption as it will be able to combine lighting and wireless data transmission.

The advantages of Li-Fi technology include:

• High speed Li-Fi already enables online HD video streaming
• Li-Fi technology is considered the most secure technology because in order to hack and intercept the signal, you need to be in the same room as the "victim"
• Low power consumption of the devices and significant data transfer speed.
• Low component cost. All transmitter components are made of ordinary LEDs, which have a simple technological process and low manufacturing cost. In the future, the Internet can be transmitted by ordinary light bulbs
• Wide range of data transmission

Disadvantages of Li-Fi technology include:

• Short transmission distance. Currently it is a maximum of 10 meters.
• The work is done in the same room because the light waves are unable to penetrate walls and opaque materials. This is a big disadvantage compared to Wi-Fi technology using radio frequencies.

Any invention, to be accepted by the general public in the market, must be easy to use, have good performance and reasonable price.

Li-Fi meets this need as it uses light as the transmission medium, so it is cheap and efficient, though its initial installation requires some investment, but further maintenance is cheaper than radio frequency transmission. In Li-Fi technology, power consumption is very low as light is the only receiver of electricity. Li-Fi also eliminates the health effects of radio waves, and in addition, Li-Fi transmission process uses visible light, which is not harmful in terms of health problems. Thus, it can be said that the benefits of Li-Fi are immense.

Since Li-Fi technology is just gaining momentum, it is difficult to find manufacturers who are already operating in this technology. However, looking at the specifications of the Li-Fi standard, it has a great chance to grow in the near future. Our Batna24 team is sure to find Li-Fi equipment and test it for you!