Wireless network faster than Wi-Fi

• Scientists have developed a new wireless Internet based on infrared rays that is reportedly 100 times faster than existing Wi-Fi networks.
• A light-based system, also known as ‘Li-Fi,’ could make wireless networks much more secure.

About Li-Fi:

• This wireless network not only has a huge capacity — more than 40 Gigabits per second (Gbit/s) — but does away with the need to share Wi-Fi as every device gets its own ray of light.
• The wireless data comes from a few central ‘light antennas’, which can be mounted on the ceiling, that are able to precisely direct the rays of light supplied by an optical fibre.
• The antennas contain a pair of gratings that radiate light rays of different wavelengths at different angles
• Changing the light wavelengths also changes the direction of the ray of light. A safe infrared wavelength is used that does not reach the retina in the eye.
• If a user is walking about and a smartphone or tablet moves out of the light antenna’s direction, then another light antenna takes over.
• The network tracks the precise location of every wireless device using its radio signal transmitted in the return direction.
• Different devices are assigned different wavelengths by the same light antenna and so do not have to share capacity.
• Li-Fi uses common household LED (light emitting diodes) lightbulbs to enable data transfer, boasting speeds of up to 224 gigabits per second.
• Li-Fi offers great promise to overcome the existing limitations of Wi-Fi by providing for data-heavy communication in short ranges. Since it does not pollute, it can be called a green technology for device-to-device communication in the Internet of Things (IoT).
• LI-FI meets the 3L criteria: low interference, low power and low maintenance.
• In addition, it has potential for the first two Hs of the three Hs of high data rates, high reliability and high affordability.
• Since Li-Fi relies on visual light and not radio waves as the carrier but the last one—high affordability—may be achieved only when volumes increase, as it has in the case of Wi-Fi.

Li-Fi vs Wi-Fi

• Li-Fi can also easily work underwater, where Wi-Fi fails completely, and thereby throwing open endless opportunities for military and navigational operations.
• Visible light being safer, they can also be used in places where radio waves can’t be used such as petrochemical and nuclear plants and hospitals.
• Similarly, in aircraft, where most of the control communication is performed through radio waves, there are restrictions on passenger communication using the same media, which can be easily handled through use of Li-Fi.
• While some may think that Li-Fi with its 224 gigabits per second leaves Wi-Fi in the dust, Li-Fi's exclusive use of visible light could halt a mass uptake.
• Li-Fi signals cannot pass through walls, so in order to enjoy full connectivity, capable LED bulbs will need to be placed throughout the home. Not to mention, Li-Fi requires the lightbulb is on at all times to provide connectivity, meaning that the lights will need to be on during the day.
• What's more, where there is a lack of lightbulbs, there is a lack of Li-Fi internet so Li-Fi does take a hit when it comes to public Wi-Fi networks.
• An extension of standard Wi-Fi is coming and it's called Wi-Fi HaLow.
• This new project claims to double the range of connectivity while using less power. Due to this, Wi-Fi HaLow is reportedly perfect for battery powered devices such as smartwatches, smartphones and lends itself to Internet of Things devices such as sensors and smart applications.
• Due to its impressive speeds, Li-Fi could make a huge impact on the internet of things too, with data transferred at much higher levels with even more devices able to connect to one another.

By: Vishal