October/November/December 2020 I 19
• January 2020: Li-Fi was presented at the
Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
It was announced that ultra-high speed Li-Fi
communication technologies for consumer
applications are available. The LaserLight
Li-Fi communication technology, for example,
achieves up to 20 Gb/s high-speed data rates.
Upload transmission speeds are at about 60 percent
the rate of download speeds.
REAL LiFi
The term “Real LiFi” was introduced to describe a lighting
system that is fully networked, meaning all the lights
on a Li-Fi network can speak to each other, thus providing
a continuous network and handover data as users
move between lights and around the space (Figure 2).
Each light has its own unique IP address, which offers
location tracking and advanced geofencing that can be
deployed within the network.
Real LiFi is bidirectional, full duplex, and high-
speed. Data is received and transmitted at the same
time, resulting in a fast user experience, especially when
streaming video and using virtual and augmented reality.
Li-Fi VERSUS WI-FI AND CELLULAR
“Li-Fi seeks to resolve the global struggle for diminishing
wireless capacity resulting in the spectrum crunch. By
offering secure, reliable, high-speed communication
networks, the Li-Fi technology seamlessly integrates
data and lighting utility infrastructures to significantly
reduce energy consumption.”10 Li-Fi claims and
technology distinctions include:11
• Li-Fi is a wireless technology that holds the key
to solving challenges faced by 5G. Li-Fi can transmit
at multiple gigabits, otherwise known as fiber
optic speeds. It is more reliable, virtually interference
free, and uniquely more secure than radio
technology, such as Wi-Fi or cellular.
• Radio frequency is vulnerable to interference from
a wide range of devices, such as cordless phones,
microwaves and neighboring Wi-Fi networks. Li-Fi
signals can be defined by the area of illumination,
which means interference with radio-frequency
devices is much simpler to avoid and even stop
altogether. This also means Li-Fi can be used
in RF hostile zones, such as hospitals, airplanes,
and power, petrochemical and nuclear plants.
FIGURE 2: “Multiple light bulbs form a wireless network covering arbitrarily large areas wherever there is light. With Real LiFi,
you can move between lights, download videos and make Skype calls.”9