Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is a wireless technology which could be replacing Wi-Fi in future.Although the concept has been around for few years, it is still being developed.It is a Visible Light Communication (VLC) system traveling at a very high speed.Many companies have already invested in this technology.
How will it work ?
- The data is provided to LED light bulb using signal process technology
- The LED light bulb sends the data to a photo diode which is a type of photo detector
- Data is converted into electrical signal using photo diode
- The electrical signal is converted back to binary data which can be read by internet enabled devices
In Simpler words,Li-Fi is a LED light bulb which will provide internet connection through light which means that it can used as a light & internet source.The light bulb can be dimmed enough so that it is not visible to human eye.
What are the benefits ?
The speed of Li-Fi was measured in laboratory tests, transferring data at 224 Gbps that is about 100 times faster than average Wi-Fi speed.According to some developers, it will be more secure than Wi-Fi router.It will be best for closed spaces like home,office,stores etc.
Some drawbacks
It has limited range because light can't pass through walls and the photo diode must be in direct contact with light.If you move away from the light bulb,you will lose internet connection.It will be more expensive than current Wi-Fi routers but eventually it will get cheaper as the technology becomes more common.
Conclusion
Although this technology will be a lot faster and secure than Wi-Fi,having a disadvantage of "limited range" balances it with Wi-Fi.It is still under development so there can be some improvements but it might be possible that Li-Fi & Wi-Fi technology will exist side by side.It is expected to commercialized by 2021.
That's great!
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