Li-Fi wireless communication technology has rapidly burst into the market of modern innovations. Its peculiarity lies in sending wireless data through light sources. Even now, bi-directional high-speed communication technology Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is able to compete with the usual Wi-Fi signal.
How does it work?The LED lamps are embedded with chips that modulate the visible light of the electromagnetic spectrum from 400 to 800 THz for optical data transmission.
Thus, a high-brightness white LED becomes the source of data transmission; and a silicon photodiode with a high response to visible light becomes its receiving element.Unlike Wi-Fi radio waves, the LED version of Li-Fi belongs to VLC technologies (Visible Light Communication).
The term was first introduced by German physicist Harold Haas in 2011.One of the main advantages of Li-Fi was the data transfer speed, which is 100 times faster than Wi-Fi.
The speed of the Internet connection can reach more than 1 gigabyte per second.At the same time, the light connection maintains the stability of the network connection, working without interference and interruptions.
One more advantage of Li-Fi is the guarantee of high confidentiality of the transmitted data, because access to information is limited to the perimeter of the illuminated room.
This technology is useful in the military sphere, at classified sites, and can be a good service in an underwater Internet connection.In contrast to radio signals, light can also propagate in water.
However, the Li-Fi coverage distance is only 10 meters, while the Wi-Fi coverage is 32 meters.
Li-Fi technology cannot work outside in sunlight, and in a dark room in the absence of LED lamps will be completely impracticable.Nevertheless, many companies have taken up testing the development.
The British mobile operator O2 installed the Li-Fi-XC system consisting of 9 LED lamps in the pilot office.The total speed of all lamps per room was 378 Mbit/s, which significantly exceeds the usual Wi-Fi parameters.
Since the advent of high-speed 5G Internet connection, mobile phone developers give thought to improving gadgets. So, Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications company filed a patent application for a smartphone with a Li-Fi communication module. Smartphones will support both Li-Fi and Wi-Fi connections, automatically switching from one to another.