Will New Disruptive Technology Change the Way We Access the Internet in the Future?

A completely new and promising wireless connectivity technology is emerging, with the potential to change the way we access the Internet every day.

In stark contrast to traditional Wi-Fi, Li-Fi technology offers significant advantages, although it is still too early to tell what its true impact will be on home broadband systems.

So what is this technology, how does it work, and could it replace Wi-Fi in the future?

What is Li-Fi technology?

Li-Fi, short for Light Fidelity, is a technology that transmits data wirelessly using light. Instead of using radio waves like traditional Wi-Fi, Li-Fi utilizes visible light from LEDs to transmit signals, opening up the potential for speeds up to 100 times faster than Wi-Fi.

The idea of ​​Li-Fi began to take shape in the early 2000s. German physicist Harald Haas and his research team pioneered the demonstration that light could be used to transmit data in two directions, laying the foundation for this technology.

In 2008, the French company Oledcomm, one of the pioneers in the Li-Fi field, began practical trials. Most recently, in July, Europe launched the Ariane 6 spacecraft into orbit with four experiments on board, including one related to the application of Li-Fi technology in space.

How does Li-Fi work?

Li-Fi is essentially a communications system that uses visible light to transmit data. Special LED bulbs act as a hotspot, flashing at extremely fast speeds to create pulses of light, similar to digital Morse code.

However, these signals are completely invisible to the naked eye. What makes this technology so groundbreaking is that the right receivers can decode these light pulses into digital data, allowing transmission to take place almost instantly and at impressive speeds.

How will Li-Fi change the way people connect to the Internet?

Since Wi-Fi - wireless technology was first introduced in 1996, the world has witnessed great strides with generations of Wi-Fi 6, 6E and the latest Wi-Fi 7, continuously improving the wireless connection experience. However, with the emergence of Li-Fi, the game may enter a completely new chapter.

Li-Fi transmits data using light instead of radio waves, allowing for incredibly fast speeds. In theory, Li-Fi technology can reach speeds of up to 224,000 Megabits per second (Mbps).

But speed isn’t the only advantage. LiFi Group, the company that pioneered the commercialization of the technology, stresses that security is also a breakthrough, as Li-Fi signals only work within the light and cannot penetrate walls, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

In addition to eliminating electromagnetic interference commonly found in Wi-Fi, Li-Fi is also seen as an optimal solution for low-latency applications such as smart cities, virtual reality, 4K streaming, and online gaming.

At the same time, because it uses LED light - an already popular and energy-saving lighting source, Li-Fi also contributes to reducing radiation and is more friendly to human health.

However, this technology is still in its early stages of development and it will take time to demonstrate its practical applicability on a large scale.

What are the outstanding advantages of Li-Fi?

- High speed: Data transmission is much faster than Wi-Fi radio waves.

- Energy efficiency: Take advantage of available LED lights, save electricity.

- Enhanced security: Signal is limited within the lighting range, difficult to access from outside.

- Wide coverage: Light is present everywhere, opening up the opportunity to cover the Internet in more locations.

What are the disadvantages of Li-Fi?

- Limited range: Connection is limited to spaces with direct light; cannot penetrate walls.

- Limited supported devices: The technology is new, the number of compatible devices is limited.

- Cannot overcome weak bandwidth from ISP: If your Internet service package is slow, Li-Fi cannot increase the original transmission speed.

Despite the many hurdles ahead, the potential that Li-Fi brings to the future of digital connectivity is undeniable. With its super-fast speeds, high security, and diverse applications, Li-Fi is likely to be an important link in the next generation of wireless network ecosystems.

Where is Li-Fi technology in the real world?

Currently, Li-Fi is still in the research and testing phase in the US and many other countries. Although it has not yet appeared widely in daily life, experts predict that this technology will gradually penetrate the mainstream market in the next few years.

According to Oledcomm - one of the pioneers in the Li-Fi field, based in France, the widespread deployment timeline could fall between 2024 and 2029, depending on the investment speed from businesses.

The positive sign is that Li-Fi is gradually being tested in many industrial fields. The LiFi Group said that this technology is especially suitable for high-security fields such as defense and government, thanks to the ability to transmit data securely in closed spaces.

In the aviation industry, a typical example is Spectrum Networks LLC, based in Fife, Washington (USA), which is currently actively applying Li-Fi to in-flight connectivity solutions.

In the US, many technology companies are increasingly investing in Li-Fi research. VLNComm, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, is one of the pioneers in visible light communication (VLC) technology, playing a key role in realizing the potential of Li-Fi.

Along with that, Signify - a famous lighting brand from the Netherlands is also leading in integrating VLC technology into smart lighting solutions.

From these advances, it can be seen that the future of Li-Fi is not too far away. When technology platforms, equipment infrastructure and investment capital converge, Li-Fi can completely become an important part of the wireless connectivity ecosystem of the digital world.

What's Next for Li-Fi?

According to a representative of Li-Fi Group, light-based data transmission technology is attracting interest from many leading corporations, not only in the field of wireless communications and connections, but also expanding to industries such as consumer electronics, automobiles, telecommunications and logistics.

“We have been working with major companies in many fields,” said a spokesperson for Li-Fi Group. “As the demand for innovative connectivity solutions increases, especially in environments where traditional wireless technologies are showing their limitations, Li-Fi has a great opportunity to break through. This interest will be the driving force for investment and expansion of Li-Fi technology applications in the near future.”