By Michael DeMarco on Wednesday, 23 December 2015
Category: Technology

Game Changer: New Li-Fi Technology Transmits Data via Light!

WiFi and Wireless Internet connections are an integral part of any workplace infrastructure. They essentially allow workers to pick up their wireless technology, like smartphones, tablets, or laptops, and connect to a network from any location with a connection. This convenience was previously unprecedented, but now a new technology threatens to usurp WiFi’s coveted throne; Li-Fi, wireless Internet connections delivered via light.

The idea might sound far-fetched at first, and until very recently Li-Fi was considered nothing more than a theory. Now, however, it’s been tested in a real-world environment, and it’s proving to be an exceptional innovation. When tested, Li-Fi was capable of transferring data at speeds of around 1GB/second. As explained by ScienceAlert:

The technology uses Visible Light Communication (VLC), a medium that uses visible light between 400 and 800 terahertz (THz). It works basically like an incredibly advanced form of Morse code - just like switching a torch on and off according to a certain pattern can relay a secret message, flicking an LED on and off at extreme speeds can be used to write and transmit things in binary code.

According to Professor Harald Haas, the creator of Li-Fi, Li-Fi addresses four of the main issues that most organizations have with their current wireless communications:

Ideally, as Haas puts it, the world can solve the problem of high-speed wireless data transfer by taking advantage of Li-Fi. While the technology is still in development, it has been tested outside the lab environment and is currently being put on trial in both manufacturing and office settings.

Would you want to take advantage of Li-Fi? Let us know in the comments.

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