{"id":5306,"date":"2015-03-30T07:00:16","date_gmt":"2015-03-30T15:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/formtek.com\/blog\/?p=5306"},"modified":"2015-02-23T09:00:42","modified_gmt":"2015-02-23T17:00:42","slug":"data-transfer-technology-lifi-devices-could-replace-lightbulbs-to-provide-both-illumination-and-high-speed-data-transmission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/formtek.com\/blog\/data-transfer-technology-lifi-devices-could-replace-lightbulbs-to-provide-both-illumination-and-high-speed-data-transmission\/","title":{"rendered":"Data Transfer Technology: LiFi Devices Could Replace Lightbulbs to Provide both Illumination and High-Speed Data Transmission"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ‘fifth generation’ WiFi standard 802.11ac <\/a>was approved in January 2014. \u00a0It promises high-speed transmissions in the range of 500 megabits per second to 1 gigagbit per second. \u00a0This would be a huge advance compared to today’s speeds with 802.11g of about 54 megabits<\/a> per second. \u00a0Wi-Fi technology is expected to ultimately reach maximums of about 7 gigabits per second.<\/p>\n

But some recent research at Oxford in the UK<\/a> is trying to leapfrog current standards by looking at data transmission via light. \u00a0Theoretically, data transmission by light might be as fast as 3 terabits per second. \u00a0Small scale tests of the technology known as LiFi have been able to transmit data at 224 gigabits per second across a three meter distance.<\/p>\n

The current LiFi prototype<\/a> relies only on infrared light at 1550 nm, a frequency that’s invisible to the eye. \u00a0The goal is to eventually be able to use most of the lightwave spectrum. \u00a0The goal of the research is to be able to not only develop the \u00a0transmission technology but to develop a way to generate a natural white light that carry the transmission and also have a look that is acceptable to humans. \u00a0Ariel Gomez<\/a>, a Ph.D. student in photonics at Oxford University, said that <\/a>“if you\u2019re in the optical window, you have virtually unlimited bandwidth and unlicensed spectrum.”<\/p>\n

In confined areas, LiFi may become a practical, and significantly faster, alternative to standard WiFi. \u00a0LiFi may also be able to team up with and replace standard illumination. \u00a0For example, instead of installing billions of light bulbs, LiFi units instead could be installed, offering both standard illumination and high-speed communication.<\/p>\n

Harold Haas<\/a>, one of its pioneers of LiFi technology, said that\u00a0<\/a>“all we need to do is fit a small microchip to every personal illumination device and this would then combine two basic functionalities: illumination and wireless data.”<\/p>\n

A Scottish startup called pureLiFi <\/a>is now working to create a technology that will turn LED light bulbs into high-speed LiFi data transmitters.<\/p>\n

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The ‘fifth generation’ WiFi standard 802.11ac was approved in January 2014. \u00a0It promises high-speed transmissions in the range of 500 megabits per second to 1 gigagbit per second. \u00a0This would be a huge advance compared to today’s speeds with 802.11g…<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more ›<\/a><\/div>\n

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