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Research Proposal - Effective Network Communication through Hybrid Li-Fi

and Wi-Fi Network

Research Proposal · September 2022

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 Research Proposal
Effective Network Communication through Hybrid Li-Fi and Wi-Fi Network
Isuru Yasas Adhikari
it20209698@my.sliit.lk

Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology

Computer Systems and Network Engineering

Introduction
In 2022, mobile data traffic is estimated to exceed 77 exabytes per month, with smart devices accounting for 90% of
worldwide mobile data consumption and 80% of data activity taking place indoors [1]. Despite the fact that wireless
communication technologies such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, LTE, and 5G are competitively rising with
ongoing revolution, the dense deployment of wireless hotspots would result in intense competition for available
channels due to the limited spectrum resource of radio frequency (RF). An improved indoor wireless network with
a large spectrum, faster connectivity, and larger capacity is urgently needed to carry this amount of traffic. Light
Fidelity or Li-Fi [2], is an emerging piece of technology that uses Visible Light Communication (VLC) technology
instead of radio waves to send data as a remedy to these shortcomings.
Compared to radio frequency (RF) networks, Li-Fi has a number of advantages. For starters, Li-Fi uses affordable
light emitting diodes (LEDs) as access points (APs), which provide illumination and data transmission at the same
time, making it more power-efficient and less expensive than indoor RF wireless networks like Wi-Fi. Furthermore,
because to its wider optical bandwidth and denser LED distribution, Li-Fi has a higher data rate and a vast spectrum
than Wi-Fi. Also, the physical layer’s security can be improved because optical light cannot pass through walls or
objects. Even though Li-Fi has being much promising technology, there are few limitations which made Li Fi not
much popular. One major limitation is relatively low coverage area, usually few meters by a single AP which mainly
effects on mobility and signal continuity.
As a solution, the combination of high-speed and secured Li-Fi with the extensive coverage of Wi-Fi can be introduced
as Hybrid Li-Fi and Wi-Fi Network, which will achieve a high Quality of Service than standalone Wi-Fi and
Li-Fi. In this research on Hybrid Li-Fi and Wi-Fi, the desired outcome is to have an unlimited spectrum, highspeed
data transmission, secured privacy of Li-Fi combined with the coverage and signal continuity of Wi-Fi technologies.

Literature Review
The demand for wireless communication is growing every day, thanks to the rapid advancement of digital technol-
ogy and devices. International agreements limit and regulate the spectrum accessible for wireless communications
services. The spectrum of wireless communication is rapidly shrinking as a result of the growing demand for wireless
communication networks [3]. As a result, the spectrum must be utilized in an extremely efficient manner.
Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) [4] is one of the most innovative technologies found and developed by Professor Harald
Haas as a solution for this challenge. Li-Fi uses visible light instead of radio waves. Li-Fi uses LEDs as access
points (APs), which provide data transmission along with the light at the same time, making it more power-efficient.
The Li-Fi connects through a modulating the light given from the Li-Fi enabled LED (transmitter) which received
by a photosensitive detector on end device. They are few key advantages in Li-Fi when compared to other wireless
communication technologies in the market.

• Limitless unlicensed spectrum

• 10x speeder than existing wireless technologies
• Security, data will only be transmitted where light is visible and will not trespass through walls

• Safer, no electromagnetic rays or any harmful ray.

Even though Li-Fi is an outstanding technology which was found almost 10 years ago, still according to a survey
carried out by Direct Line by Opinium Research online, Wi-Fi still is the number one thing that their respondents

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 couldn’t live without. This is because of few major drawbacks Li-Fi technology which couldn’t quiet overcome in
past years.
• Lower connection coverage – about 10m
• Light interference from other sources

• Lack of mobility
As to find a solution for this, researches were carried out to have a hybrid of RF and VLC System. In 2011, M. B.
Rahaim, A. M. Vegni and T. D. C. Little pointed out how RF and VLC can be combined in their research paper “A
hybrid Radio Frequency and broadcast Visible Light Communication system” [5].
In 2016, M. Ayyash and his colleges performed research on “Coexistence of Wi-Fi and Li-Fi toward 5G” [6]
which they tried to combine two technologies. Here, they mainly focused on two technologies separately as Li-Fi use
as the downlink since it is faster and Wi-Fi as an uplink in the heterogenous network. But this technique didn’t get
the 100% outcome of each technology because of speed and range difference in each technology.
With the motivation, in 2021, X. Wu along with M. D. Soltani, L. Zhou, M. Safari and H. Haas conducted a research
survey on “Hybrid Wi-fi and Li-Fi Networks” [7] where they raised the idea of combining the high-speed data
transmission of Li-Fi and the ubiquitous coverage of Wi-Fi.
With this idea, this research is carried on keeping out every disadvantage of each technology and having the secured,
highspeed connection of Li-Fi along with the high coverage and the mobility of Wi-Fi together.

Methodology
The primary research method for this study is literature review and conceptual modeling. Constraint identification
and classification through an architectural-based approach and a suitable mapping technique are proposed to develop
in as the very first step. Based on this understanding, in the second stage of this study, existing constraint will
be identified based on a comprehensive review of current industry practices and academic researches. Once the
constraints are identified and evaluated, a conceptual framework along with detailed information is presented with
the solution.
As the research going on, a physical implementation of the solution too will be tried and implemented if possible.

References
[1] G. Forecast, “Cisco visual networking index: Global mobile data traffic forecast update, 2017–2022,” 2019.
[2] Nischay, “A review paper on li-fi technology,” International journal of Engineering research technology (IJert)
Vimpact, 2017.
[3] X. F. Gregory Taylor, Catherine Middleton, “spectrum scarcity,” 2017.

[4] H. Haas, L. Yin, Y. Wang, and C. Chen, “What is lifi?,” Journal of Lightwave Technology, vol. 34, no. 6,
pp. 1533–1544, 2016.
[5] A. M. V. M. B. Rahaim and T. D. C. Little, “A hybrid radio frequency and broadcast visible light communication
system,” IEEE GLOBECOM Workshops (GC Wkshps), 2011.
[6] M. Ayyash, H. Elgala, A. Khreishah, V. Jungnickel, T. Little, S. Shao, M. Rahaim, D. Schulz, J. Hilt, and R. Fre-
und, “Coexistence of wifi and lifi toward 5g: concepts, opportunities, and challenges,” IEEE Communications
Magazine, vol. 54, no. 2, pp. 64–71, 2016.
[7] X. Wu, M. D. Soltani, L. Zhou, M. Safari, and H. Haas, “Hybrid lifi and wifi networks: A survey,” IEEE
Communications Surveys & Tutorials, vol. 23, pp. 1398–1420, 2021.

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