Our increasingly connected world is at the heart of a big problem: a growing number of users, devices, and services competing for limited radio frequency (RF) spectrum. The problem is that this spectrum, which includes 3G, 4G, 5G, WiFi and Bluetooth, is a limited resource, analysts anticipate that it will only cover 5% of capacity demand in years. to come
About the author Alistair Banham is CEO of pureLiFi. Cue 'LiFi', a technology that uses part of the visible light part of the electromagnetic spectrum to transmit information at very high speeds. LiFi is already having an impact on connectivity and landscape lighting, primarily because it can provide the right ecosystem that can meet the connectivity challenges of the new digital age and enable multi-billion dollar spending. smart devices that shape how we communicate, work and ultimately live our lives.
What is LiFi and how does it work?
LiFi communication is similar to WiFi, but provides faster, more secure, and higher-capacity connections using LED devices and light bulbs as access points, rather than radio base stations and wireless routers. LiFi therefore combines lighting and telecommunications, opening up the possibility of fast, secure and reliable wireless connectivity in lighting infrastructure. This means that every light socket could become a LiFi hotspot. Given that there are around 40 billion light sockets around the world, the possibilities of meeting the ever-increasing demand for fast and reliable connectivity are enormous.
LiFi works best in a connectivity ecosystem
A common misconception with LiFi is that it is meant to replace RF wireless technologies like WiFi. Couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, LiFi is complementary to WiFi. It is designed to provide significant connectivity benefits and work with other wireless technologies to complement them on both the access and smart device sides. In this way, a connectivity ecosystem that includes LiFi, 5G, and WiFi can provide the highest bandwidth and deliver better quality of service to customers. To put things to work, future smartphones and laptops will have these multiple connectivity methods built-in, giving users the ability to seamlessly switch between LiFi, WiFi, and 5G to take advantage of the best signal available at the time. The devices could even combine signals from, for example, LiFi and WiFi for the highest possible speed and bandwidth.
Add advanced security levels
Within this ecosystem of connectivity, LiFi will be able to compensate for the safety limitations that RF technologies often suffer from. These include vulnerability to wiretapping, as well as transmission and interference sensitivity. Since LiFi cannot pass through walls, LiFi signals are not accessible to a nearby resident, business, or member of the public, providing much greater privacy in home and office environments. This is particularly important for sectors such as the financial, legal, pharmaceutical, intelligence and defense sectors that have very robust wireless security policies where maintaining Wi-Fi networks can be very difficult. Users control their wireless security and can manage it simply by pulling the curtain and closing the door. Additionally, LiFi users can also host a private wireless network in their home that is not connected to the Internet. This wireless network could contain your most private digital items, such as passwords, family photos, financial information, and would be virtually unhackable. Imagine a desk lamp or pendant light that discreetly contains your most important digital information that only light can access, and only you know it's there - a "digital safe" in your home for the digital age. Organizations, on the other hand, can take advantage of more advanced LiFi security features such as asset tracking, behavior analytics, and hardware encryption of end-user devices. Also, since each LiFi-compatible lamp has a unique IP address, companies can simply implement advanced geo-fencing on a LiFi network. This level of security is possible because each light in a LiFi network has its own unique identifier, which allows network administrators to track users very precisely and analyze their behavior.
Where can LiFi be used?
High-speed, secure, low-latency LiFi connectivity not only increases productivity levels, but also supports innovative and disruptive high-bandwidth applications such as autonomous systems, AI, AI. advanced computing and virtual, augmented and mixed reality. The number of consumer and business use cases can be infinite. The smart home network environment, as well as activities such as media streaming and gaming, benefit from high-quality connectivity performance, allowing all users to enjoy full bandwidth. Users and manufacturers of rugged device technologies and the aforementioned security-demanding industries, such as military and defense, benefit from high-speed connectivity that is more secure, reliable, and capable of providing bandwidth beyond the capabilities of conventional wireless communications.
Deliver on the promise of connectivity
The digital age requires "universal" connectivity that doesn't compromise speed or security. By embedding a LiFi component into devices, LiFi technology can overcome the biggest obstacle to IoT takeoff, the risk of an RF spectrum crisis. LiFi is at the center of an evolving connectivity ecosystem that spans the RF spectrum. This disruptive ecosystem can ensure that the connected world stays connected.