The 5 Major Benefits of Li-Fi

In the 21st century, the Internet has become a major utility, with a broadband connection considered an essential element of anyone’s home or office alongside electricity and water.

But by replacing incandescent light bulbs with LED light bulbs, Chinese researchers have discovered a way we can use electrical light for internet connection to make it even more of an accessible amenity.

Through using signal processing technology, manipulating light in order to transmit wireless internet signals (also known as Li-Fi) provides several major solutions to problems of availability, capacity, efficiency and security. With more and more people relying on Wi-Fi for their day to day lives, this technology promises a revolutionary breakthrough when it comes to the future of the internet in a number of ways:

Faster internet

Transferring wireless signals at a speed of 10Gbits per second, Li-Fi transmits 250 times faster than broadband connections available today which are considered superfast. No more problems of lag or disrupted connections during peak periods, the speed of Li-fi presents itself with new possibilities for websites and technologies which could revolutionize the way we use the internet.

Low costs

With the average LED light bulb costing $3, or roughly £1.80, Li-fi uses a resource we have already and have used for hundreds of years – light. This means Li-Fi will be less expensive to implement into homes, offices and other locations across the globe.

Energy efficiency

LED light bulbs are already renowned for their energy saving abilities, but with Li-Fi enabling bulbs this will also allow their users to save significant amounts of money per year on electricity and broadband bills.

Image Credits: www.lightmalls.com

Due to their restrictions regarding frequency, the radio waves we use at the moment for the internet are costly and limited, hence why broadband bills can be so expensive. Li-Fi however transmits data for absolutely nothing, whilst producing less electricity than conventional incandescent light bulbs.

Additional security

Protecting your own broadband is a tricky task when Wi-Fi is so vulnerable to hacking, where hackers can access a user’s personal details and information through their internet connection. However with Li-Fi this will be a thing of the past, presenting an almost impossible challenge to hackers.

This is because in order to receive the connection, a user has to see the light, or at least be in the same room as the LED lighting as the signals are unable to travel through solid walls or materials. Whilst seen as a drawback to many, this adds extra security for those using the internet as it prevents neighbors and potential hackers accessing unsecured internet connections, unless they are within the room themselves.

Innovation

Thanks to the extensive range of Li-Fi, using this ground-breaking technology will have major benefits for several industries. For example, in hospitals it can be used to create and develop new medical instruments key for certain types of illness or surgery.

Within cars and on roads, it heightens traffic control measures, allowing communication with other cars which can help reduce the amount of accidents and collisions on the road. Li-Fi is also perfectly safe to use in aeroplanes, enabling users to receive and send data on their devices without threatening the security of the aircraft they are traveling in.

  Faizan Ahmad

About the Author:

This article is posted by Faizan who is the Author and Founder of TechSenser. He is a Professional Blogger from India and a passionate writer about Technology, Gadgets, How-to-Guides, etc. You can connect him on Google+.