In an era of wireless technology data transmission and reception are the most essential components. If the same wireless transmission can be teamed up with a complimentary service, then nothing can be better than this. An Estonian startup company Velmenni is working on developing a new wireless internet technology that can provide 100 times the speed of a conventional Wi-Fi system. The new technology will be called LiFi because it will implement light as the potential transmission medium.
LiFi will be able to transmit data at a transmission speed of 1 Gbps which is 100 times faster than normal WiFi data speed. This implies that downloading of media files will speed up by 100 times. The term LiFi was first coined by Professor Harald Haas, from the University of Edinburgh who developed the technology in 2011. Till now there was no real life implementation of LiFi until Velmenni started the service in their own offices.
The backbone technology of LiFi is the Visible Light Communication (VLC) which will deploy any luminous device in a room or office like light bulb for data transmission. Data transmission between networks will be accomplished by LED lights that flicker incredibly fast. So if the LiFi chip is fitted with a light bulb inside a room it will start operating. The bulb will continue to perform it’s conventional duty of supplying light to the room.
However LiFi has some clear visible limitations. Firstly it can’t pass through walls because light will be obstructed by the walls of a room. Secondly, in order to keep it functional lights should be turned on even in broad daylight which is sheer wastage of energy. The first limitation can be used in a positive manner because it will provide more secure connection as data will not travel beyond a room. As of now, the LiFi technology can be used to work parallely with some presently working systems and provide a parallel support. Deepak Solanki, CEO of Velmenni, told the International Business Times that the technology will roll out within 3 to 4 years.
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