Until a few years ago, the possibility of using light to connect to the Internet was certainly unimaginable. But this has become a reality thanks to Li-Fi technologywhich opens a new access to keep us connected by wireless means.
Although networks based on electromagnetic space are nothing new, with the playing the protagonist and obligatory companion in homes and offices in the last two decades, now having the possibility of take advantage of something as simple as a light bulb for the same purposes it is still amazing.
All of the above is our way of inviting you to read the content of this article, after which you will be better informed about the concept of Li-Fi technology, its origins, its benefits and other issues related to the subject.
What is Li-Fi technology and what is it used for in computing?
First of all, when we talk about Li-Fi we refer to the acronym in English for Light Fidelity, which for us is light fidelity. So we are in the presence of a technology of wireless connection using light visible for data transmission. Unlike WiFi, which uses microwaves to achieve communication, the Li-Fi system works powered by something as everyday as led bulbs of homes and offices, being able to even do the same through the ultraviolet and infrared light.
Its operation is as simple as placing a modulator on the LED bulb, which will turn the light off and on at a speed imperceptible to the human eye, thus creating a binary sequence. This in turn is picked up by a photodiode placed in the receiving device. In this way, Li-Fi technology becomes a big leap within the world of computing, especially in relation to the speed of Internet connections, reaching milestones that broadband cannot even dream of reaching.
History and Origin How was this powerful telecommunication technology developed?
The term Li-Fi was first used by the engineer harald haas during a TED talk held in 2011. Haas, who is a professor at the University of Edinburgh, UK, started his D-Light project in 2010. One of the topics of that conference was find a replacement for data broadcasting. To reach his conclusions, Haas made use of the principles of the VLC.
Which is a type of optical communications based on data transmission at frequencies ranging between 400 and 800 THz, which is where is the spectrum located of visible light in an open space. although since over a hundred years ago Research has been carried out on this procedure, the idea presented by the British engineer has turned out to be a great novelty, since it demonstrates that data transmission can be achieved using the same elements with which we usually light our homes.
At present, developments have been achieved that far exceed the initial browsing speed of 10 Mbps, up to a record reached by researchers from the Oxford University with speeds greater than 224 Gbps across a spectrum of light emitted by LED bulbs. But this is not all, since it is believed that 500 Gbps of speed can be reached in the future.
What are the main benefits of the Li-Fi Internet connection?
It is clear that once a system like this is implemented, which for now is being used by a reduced number of companies and institutions, it will bring some advantages to each internet user not at all despicable. Just to mention that with a Li-Fi connection you can navigate to a speed between 100 and 400 times higher to the one that is capable of doing it WiFi, you can already imagine the sensations. Not to mention that it is expected that at some point the speed could triple.
Something we should also think about has to do with the great infrastructure savings. This is because it will no longer be necessary to spend a great deal on and antennas, since now all that will be replaced by an LED light lamp. This makes Li-Fi a system of higher energy efficiency. With the visible light spectrum being 10,000 greater than the electromagnetic spectrum on which WiFi is based, it is clear that the risks of saturation they are practically eliminated.
In this way, it is presented as the great solution to broadband transmission problems. Regarding the issue of security of our dataUndoubtedly, with Li-Fi we will be saying goodbye to the risks of someone attacking us by penetrating our devices, since to do so they would have to be connected to the same bulb as us.
Likewise, Li-Fi comes to minimize the risks posed by electromagnetic waves in sensitive places such as hospitals, nuclear power plants and airplanes. This is because it is proven that the new technology reduces to zero the interference problems.
Li-Fi and 5G Technology, how can they influence the future of communications?
With the advent of 5G technology to the field of telecommunications, and its consequent requirement for higher speeds for connections, it is clear that everything we know up to today may fall short. This includes both Wi-Fi as al which leaves the use of light as possible only alternative to find support. It is there where Li-Fi technology shows once again its superiority with respect to electromagnetic connection systems.
With all this, we can already envision that both technologies are coming to definitively change the way in which we have been communicating up to now, and even more so when we see that the greats of mobile telephony are worrying about making the 5G start working with integrated Li-Fi.
Limitations of LiFi technology What are the main obstacles to its domestication?
Now, we all know that perfection is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. By this we mean that Li-Fi technology, along with its advantages, also presents some limitations, or if you want disadvantages, which we must keep in mind. In this sense, the first thing to mention is the short range of the light beams.
By this we mean that the Li-Fi only works inside light cones, and when you leave it you will be losing connectivity. Coupled with that, you must always have the lights on to maintain the connection. So it’s not hard to imagine the number of bulbs that must be kept on to cover a house, as well as in places where there are many offices, taking into account that the range of the home LED light is between 5 and 10 meters.
In that same order, we must emphasize that it is enough for something to come between the emitting device and the receiving device for speed is lost and even the signal in the connection. An additional problem, at least for the common user, is in the low supply, both installers and equipment, for the installation of a Li-Fi system in homes. This, of course, means that it is located above the budgets of the majority.
What is needed to establish a LiFi connection? main devices
As we have already said above when talking about their advantage, for the implementation of a system Li-Fi you don’t need a big splurge in terms of infrastructure.
As you will see below, there are very few devices that are required for its installation, regardless of whether it is your home or your office:
modulator
This is the device that is placed next to the LED bulb. Its function is to vary the signal wave, making it travel in the form of binary code to the photoreceptor.
LED bulbs
Of course you will need one LED bulb or lamp, which is capable of turning on and off at a speed that the human eye is unable to perceive. This is how the light waves that feed the modulating device are produced.
photoreceptor
Also know as photodiode, It is a device that is installed in mobile phones, laptops, computers, cameras, televisions, etc. Its function is to capture changes in the intensity of light to convert them into information in the form of electrical current.
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