September 14, 2021

What is Li-Fi Technology? Things you need to know about it

The world around us is continuously changing. New technologies are coming up now and then. There was a time when nobody knew what the Internet was, let alone had access to it. But are we still facing the same issue? No. We have Wi-Fi now. Wi-Fi or Wireless Fidelity lets us access the Internet for as long as we want. But what if I say there’s a wireless network technology that can work faster than Wi-Fi? Fascinating enough, isn’t it?

What is Li-Fi Technology?

LiFi, short for Light Fidelity, is the latest wireless network technology that will let us transmit data with the help of light. The light can be from LEDs, street lights, or lamps. Imagine being able to surf the web by just flicking your light on! Unlike Wi-Fi, Li-Fi technology does not use radio frequency to send signals. Instead, it is done by light waves.

Some Advantages of Li-Fi are:-

Sustainable:

Radiofrequency used in Wi-Fi networks is drying up of the spectrum. Soon, it will not be enough to meet the amount of consumption that keeps increasing every day. In that case, Li-Fi will be very beneficial for us. It uses a light source to transfer wireless signals, and it is very unlikely to run out of light energy any time soon.

Speed:

Li-Fi technology is very fast. Light waves can carry more data than radio waves, and hence, Li-Fi is expected to transfer 224 GB of data per second. It is believed to be100 times faster than Wi-Fi.

Cost friendly:

Li-Fi is pretty efficient, considering it doesn’t require modems, routers for its connectivity. 24/7 electricity is needed for these devices to function, whereas Li-Fi requires some LED bulbs to be active enough to function properly.

Availability:

Li-Fi lets you browse the web with any form of light. Even in very remote places, it will work fine. Underwater, where Wi-Fi cannot work as radio waves get absorbed in water, Li-Fi can work as light can perforate through water easily.

However, nothing is perfect. There are some cons to using Li-Fi, such as its compatibility with many devices or its low range. But considering how new this network is for everyone, first launched in 2011, there is lots of work that still needs to be done to make this technology perfect and usable for the masses.

Since its launch, several companies have emerged that provide Li-Fi connections. Some notable names among others can be Oledcomm, ZERO1, PureLiFi, VLNComm.

So what devices should be used for the Li-Fi technology? Several products are available in the market for this purpose. Some of them are shortly discussed below.

Li-FiMAX by Oledcomm:

LiFiMAX is an affordable and easy-to-use ceiling lamp that can provide a fast internet connection to almost 16 users. It can be easily available for your office or home, with its setup being super simple. It is very secure and reliable for places like hospitals and schools. On top of that, Li-FiMAX is compatible with quite a lot of different devices.

Li-Fi-XC by PureLiFi:

Li-Fi-XC is a powerful Li-Fi dongle launched by PureLiFi that promises a transfer speed of up to 42 Mbps. It is fully secure and bi-directional. Not only that, it is compatible with many operating systems like Windows 7/10, Mac Os, and Linux. This device has the potential to make Li-Fi accessible to a large population.

LumiLamp by VLNComm:

LumiLamp is a tabletop lamp that lets users connect to the web through the optical signal emitted by this device. Up to 7 users can function well simultaneously while connected to this, with a speed of 23 Mbps. It is a great choice for your office or study desk.

Conclusion:

The concept of Li-Fi is still new to common people. It is expected to be fully accessible to a large number of people by 2022. Nevertheless, it is indeed a great discovery. A lot more work and advancement is still required in this sector before it is available to everyone, and many companies are working very hard to make it possible. It would be wrong to say that it can replace Wi-Fi, but there’s certainly a very bright future for Li-Fi.

About the author 

Peter Hatch


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