Can LED lights supplement WiFi?
Light emitting diode aka LED is a new-age
lighting technology that has modernized businesses across the globe and helped
them become more efficient and sustainable. It is loaded with a host of
monetary and safety benefits that has encouraged businesses to gradually
replace all the conventional lighting solutions with LED lighting solutions
in commercial facilities.
LED technology is evolving and getting
better with time. For instance, it is now used in conjunction with another
state-of-the-art technology i.e. Internet of Things (IoT) that has boosted the
popularity of smart lighting
solutions in the LED market. One such smart
lighting solution is the LiFi
which holds the potential of supplementing the wireless communication
technology WiFi.
LiFi - The New Age of Wireless Connectivity
LiFi or light fidelity is an innovative
lighting technology that provides a secure network of high-speed wireless data
through light. Simply put, it is a bi-directional networked and mobile
communication of data using light.
LiFi works with multiple LED luminaires
that form a wireless network to offer a substantially similar user experience
to WiFi via a light spectrum. It ensures data transmission by modulating the
intensity of light and provides a larger bandwidth than other conventional
radio frequency technologies.
Benefits of LiFi
LiFi is a smart
lighting solution that can work indoors and outdoors both. It can work
with dimmed lights and is not strictly line-of-sight technology. Moreover, it
is LED agnostic - meaning it can be integrated and used with various
off-the-shelf LEDs.
Here are some other benefits associated with LiFi:
A smart lighting solution
LiFi can be used with any private or
public lighting infrastructure. For instance, it can be used alongside LED
street lighting solutions to offer LiFi hotspots in public areas. Additionally, it also allows concerned
authorities to monitor and control lighting (and data) over the same
communication infrastructure.
Safe and Secure
Light cannot surpass physical barriers
like walls and can be contained within a defined space. This means that LiFi
signals can be secured in a physical space (unlike WiFi). This makes your
wireless network more secure and safe.
High Data Density
LiFi can achieve approximately 1000 times
more data density per square meter than a normal WiFi. Data density plays a
vital role in ensuring a great user experience as it minimizes the need of
sharing the wireless bandwidth with other users.
Interference-free
RF technologies like WiFi are vulnerable
to disruption from devices like cordless phones and microwaves. Even the
neighboring WiFi networks can cause interference that eventually harms the
user’s experience. In contrast, LiFi ensures a smooth and interference-free
experience for the users. It can be contained in a physical space which makes
avoiding interferences easier. This makes it highly suitable for RF hostile
spaces like hospitals, power plants, and airplanes.
Lastly, LiFi makes use of highly efficient and sustainable LED lighting solutions to provide high-speed wireless transmission of data. It uses the same light infrastructure for the purpose of communications and connectivity which makes it a truly efficient lighting solution of the 21st century.
