Because visible lights cannot travel through walls, Wi-Fi still has an advantage over Li-Fi, a light-base data delivery method that recently excited internet users.
The attention that Li-Fi recently got was the result of a commercial test of the method by Velmenni, a startup in Estonia, which found Li-Fi to be superior over Wi-Fi in almost every way. However, the technology, which uses protocols similar to the RF-band 802.11, cannot be deployed in sunlight or other odd conditions, notes Techcrunch.
But it adds that the line-of-sight limitation of Li-Fi makes it more secure and provide better control over emissions. Because it is still not clear the minimum distance for signal reception to be considered clear line-of-sight, Li-Fi's signal could easily be intercepted by anyone using telephoto lens and an optical sensor that is appropriately tuned.
The Li-Fi was part of the D-light project of the University of Edinburgh's Institute for Digital Communications in 2010. Professor Harald Hass, head of the project, discussed the technology at the 2012 Technology, Entertainment and Design Global conference, and as a result, several companies expressed interest in starting a Li-Fi consortium, although its commercial viability remains a big question mark.
According to the BBC, Li-Fi has a theoretical speed of 224 gigabytes per second. To achieve that speed, it uses the Jungru, Velmenni's technology that involves an LED bulb to transmit data at gigabit speed. The Jungru product is commercially viable, Techcrunch notes, but it is based on a laboratory grade MATLAB and Simulink setup paired with photodiodes.
However, the final product requires data transmission that must take into account physical limitations such as light pollution and other variables. The tech website adds that "It's not clear if the benefits of faster wireless communication will outweigh the cost of constantly-on Led lights, as well as the cost of optical detectors requiring clear line-of-sight."
However, Velmenni Chief Executive Deepak Solanki believes Li-Fi could be within consumers' reach within three to four years, reports BBC.