LI-FI TECHNOLOGY

Light becomes data

 inventor

Professor Harald Hass

• Li – Fi Means “Light and Fidelity”
• The term Li-Fi (Light and Fidelity) refers to
Visible Light Communication (VLC) technology.
This technology uses a part of the
electromagnetic spectrum that is still not
utilized generally i.e. the Visible Spectrum.
• In simple terms, LiFi is a light-based Wi-Fi. This
technology has a much broader spectrum for
transmission compared to conventional
methods of wireless communication which
uses radio waves.
• The basic ideology of this technology is transference of data
using LED light of varying intensities. It uses transceivers fitted
with LED lamps that can transmit and receive information.
This results in adding new and unutilized bandwidth of visible
light and may offer additional frequency band than those
bands which are available for RF communication.

Fig. 2 – Uses of Electromagnetic Spectrum

 How it works

Fig. 3 – How Does the Li-Fi Technology Work

 Application
• Applications of Li-Fi Technology
• This technology has a wide range of applications such as:
• Public Internet access using existing LED lighting.
• Auto-piloted cars that communicate through their LED
based headlights.
• Connecting with specialists across the globe from the
operation theater.
• Since it uses just the light, it can be used safely in
locations or areas where the presence of radio waves
raises concerns of security.
 Advantages of Li-Fi Technology

• Efficiency: Efficient use of energy consumption due to the use of LED illumination which
are already in use for lighting purpose. Hence the transmission of data will require
negligible additional power/ energy.
• High speed: The technology uses bandwidth that is not is use currently. Hence, low
interference, wider bandwidths and high-intensity output are its key data features.
• Availability: As the light source is available everywhere, availability is not an issue. Hence,
wherever there is a light source, there will be Internet.
• Cost Efficient: This technology requires few components for its working. The technology
also uses negligible additional power for data transmission. Overall, utilization of this
technology becomes cost efficient.
• Security: As light cannot pass through opaque structures, LiFi internet is available only to
those within a confined area. This internet cannot be intercepted and misused outside the
area under operation.
• Futuristic: This technology has a great scope in future due to the extensive growth in the
use of LEDs. Overall, it is considered a sustainable model for Internet access as it incurs
lower cost and offers higher efficiency.
What is the difference between Wi-Fi and Li-Fi Technology
Wi-Fi offers highest speed access to internet among the current technology. However, if we compare
Li-Fi with Wi-Fi, we find the following key differences:
Due to the speed and security offered by Li-Fi technology compared to Wi-Fi, Li-Fi is here to stay
and likely to be used widely.
Li-Fi Wi-Fi
Spectrum Used Visual Light Radio Frequency

Depends on light
Less than 200
Range intensity, can be
meters
lower than Wi-Fi

High installation
Cost cost, low regular Low cost
usage cost

Less (compared to
Security High
Li-Fi)

Higher (compared
Data transfer to Wi-Fi, can be up
speed High
to 100 times
faster)

Yet to be available
Availability Widely available
for commercial use