Li-Fi, though in relatively infant stages, promises a new revolution in indoor connectivity. Based on visible light communication (VLC), it utilizes the same light that illuminates our environment to send data at speeds difficult to envision—so promising, thus, an exciting alternative to traditional Wi-Fi.
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How Does Li-Fi Work?
While Wi-Fi uses radio waves, Li-Fi takes advantage of the visible light spectrum. LED lamps are capable of rapidly changing their intensity and, thus, of sending data using them. This modulation is not noticeable by the human eye but can be decoded by a Li-Fi receiver. Since information transmitted using light waves is encoded into the data, high speeds are realized.
Advantages of Li-Fi
Following are some advantages of using Li-Fi.
Higher Speeds
Li-Fi provides data transfer rates far superior to Wi-Fi; hence, it is ideal for bandwidth-intensive applications, such as virtual reality, increased reality, and high-definition video streaming.
Enhanced Security
Because light cannot pass through or around walls, or any other barriers, Li-Fi is more secure than Wi-Fi, which is very prone to interference and eavesdropping.
License-Free
Unlike Wi-Fi, operating in the radio spectrum, Li-Fi operates in the visible light spectrum and hence does not require licensing in geographical regions.
Energy Efficiency
Yet another benefit of Li-Fi is that it can be designed into existing lighting infrastructure, thereby minimizing many additional installations of wireless networking technology and potentially cutting energy usage.
Limitations of Li-Fi
The following are the limitations or challenges of the use of li-fi.
Line-of-Sight Requirement
Li-Fi demands a line of sight between transmitter and receiver, hence it has quite limited coverage as compared to that of Wi-Fi.
Obstructions
Walls and furniture are major obstacles in the path of light transmission, hence they can affect the reliability of Li-Fi connections.
Cost
Infrastructure Li-Fi will be costlier initially, especially when large-scale installations are considered.
Future Prospects
Li-Fi could be one of the big winners in indoor connectivity over the coming years. As technology improves and prices fall, Li-Fi will likely be more broadly adopted across offices, homes, and public places.
