homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Dutch researchers demonstrate 42.8 gbps connection using Li-Fi. It's 100 times faster than the best Wi-Fi

It uses infrared light instead of radio waves to transfer data.

Tibi Puiu
March 21, 2017 @ 9:26 pm

share Share

Schematic of LiFi operating principle. Credit: Flickr.

Schematic of LiFi operating principle. Credit: Flickr.

WiFi can become extremely irritating especially when too many connections get logged on to the same hotspot. That’s just an inherent fault of WiFi whose protocols share the bandwidth even if that ultimately means no user gets satisfied. Try splitting an apple into 20 pieces — everyone will still stay hungry. One solution would be to grow more apples but in the case of WiFi that’s getting increasingly challenging because the technology is nearing its limits. That’s why some researchers are exploring new technologies, among them a form of wireless local area networking based on light waves aptly called Li-Fi.

To get an idea of Li-Fi’s potential, it’s enough to learn about the performance recently demonstrated by researchers at the Eindhoven University of Technology. Their device has an incredible capacity of 40Gbit/s per ray over a distance of 2.5 meters. That’s roughly 100 times faster than the best WiFi routers which can clock in 300 Mbps.  

The operating principle is rather simple which is good news because it means it can be easily and cheaply scaled by the industry. The wireless data itself is beamed from a few central antennas that very precisely direct rays of light supplied by an optical fiber. Typically, these antennas, which have no moving parts, and require no maintenance or power, can be fitted on the ceiling. Inside each antenna is a pair of gratings that radiate light at different wavelengths and at different angles, a technique called ‘passive diffraction gratings.’

Typical Li-Fi setup. Credit: Bloomberg.

Typical Li-Fi setup. Credit: Bloomberg.

The first Li-Fis designed at the beginning of this decade beamed light waves from LED lamps and overheads at breakneck speed. Immediately, these devices blew everyone away with their high data transfer rate, up to 10 times faster than the WiFi state of the art but the limitations made these early Li-Fis rather impractical. For one, just like WiFi, these systems used the same single ‘light bulb’ to connect to multiple devices which means that the same connection sharing problems arise. Secondly, optical light waves can’t penetrate walls, unlike WiFi’s radio waves. This is a good thing if you want an extremely secure network but for the average consumer, it’s a drag.

Wi-Fi signal can pass through walls but Li-Fi just bounces off. This is Li-Fi's main limitation unless you care a lot about privacy. Credit: Bloomberg

Wi-Fi signal can pass through walls but Li-Fi just bounces off. This is Li-Fi’s main limitation unless you care a lot about privacy. Credit: Bloomberg

The Dutch researchers’ Li-Fi does away with the first limitation. Data is transferred using infrared light with wavelengths of 1500 nanometers and higher which is invisible and harmless, though infrared still can’t penetrate walls because the energy is too low and gets absorbed by the concrete. This doesn’t necessarily have to be an issue because as a user leaves a room and out of the range of a light antenna, then another antenna strapped on the ceiling of the next room can take over.

The main innovation lies in the fact that every connected device gets its own ray of light which solves all those congestion issues with Wi-Fi.

By now you must be excited. Unfortunately, professor of broadband communication technology Ton Koonen says the technology is still five years away until it can reach homes so don’t throw away that annoying WiFi router just yet.

share Share

AI Helped Decode a 3,000-Year-Old Babylonian Hymn That Describes a City More Welcoming Than You’d Expect

Rediscovered text reveals daily life and ideals of ancient Babylon.

Peeling Tape Creates Microlightning Strong Enough To Power Chemistry

Microlightning from everyday tape may unlock cleaner ways to drive chemical reactions.

Menstrual Cups Passed a Brutal Space Test. They Could Finally Fix a Major Problem for Many Astronauts

Reusable menstrual cups pass first test in space-like flight conditions.

The Fungus Behind the Pharaoh’s Curse Might Help Cure Leukemia

A deadly fungus found in ancient tombs yields a powerful new anti-leukemia compound.

The Woman of Margaux: Reconstructing the Face and Life of a 10,500-Year-Old Hunter-Gatherer

A new facial reconstruction challenges old ideas about Europe’s ancient inhabitants

An Overlooked Hill in Bolivia Turned Out to Be One of the Andes’ Oldest Temples

A temple bigger than a city block was hiding in plain sight for over 1,000 years.

One-Third of the World's Scavengers are Disappearing And This Could Trigger a Human Health Crisis

Nature’s least loved animals are dying fast. This could make the environment stinky and pathogens unstoppable.

Scientists Catch Two Wild Orcas "French Kissing" And It Might Mean More Than You Think

Scientists believe the habit is a part of social bonding.

Coolness Isn’t About Looks or Money. It’s About These Six Things, According to Science

New global study reveals the six traits that define coolness around the world.

Ancient Roman Pompeii had way more erotic art than you'd think

Unfortunately, there are few images we can respectably share here.