LiFi internet breakthrough: 224Gbps connection broadcast with an LED bulb

[RagnarokDel]

 

 

A 224Gbps speed would technically allow for 30 movies (1.5GB) to be downloaded in a single second (CC)

Researchers at the University of Oxford have reached a new milestone in networking by using light fidelity (Li-Fi) to achieve bi-directional speeds of 224 gigabits per second (Gbps). To put this in perspective, 100Gbps fibre optic core networks have only become a reality in recent years and have yet to become ubiquitous.

Li-Fi is still a long way from being used commercially, but by way of illustration, using a 224Gbps speed would technically allow for 30 movies (1.5GB) to be downloaded in a single second.

The technology is being developed as a potential alternative to Wi-Fi, and because it uses visible light spectrum to transmit data, when coupled with a high-speed fibre internet connection, researchers believe this can offer speeds far greater than those attained by existing contemporary Wi-Fi technology (600Mbps).

The research, published in the journal Photonics Technology Letter, details how the specialised broadcast LEDs and receivers operate with different fields of view and bands that affect the data transmission speeds.

"The link operates over ~3 m range at 224 Gb/s (6 x 37.4 Gb/s) and 112 Gb/s (3 x 37.4 Gb/s) with a wide field of view (FOV) of 60° and 36°, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a wireless link of this type with a FOV that offers practical room-scale coverage," the report states.

LiFi provides more secure networks than traditional WiFi(Edinburgh University) A 'brighter future'

The emerging technology has the potential to provide low-cost wireless internet more securely in localised areas, given that light is unable to pass through walls. 

The fastest speed previously achieved using Li-Fi was in October 2014, when a team of researchers from the universities of Oxford, Edinburgh, St Andrews and Strathclyde working on the Ultra-Parallel Visible Light Communications Project reached transmission speeds of 10.5Gbps via Li-Fi.

Harold Haas, one of the pioneers of Li-Fi technology, has previously claimed that in the future every LED lightbulb could potentially be used as an ultra-fast alternative to Wi-Fi.

"We have the infrastructure there," Haas said in a TED Talk demonstrating Li-Fi. "We can use them for communications.

"All we need to do is fit a small microchip to every potential illumination device and this would then combine two basic functionalities: illumination and wireless data transmission.

"In the future we will not only have 14 billion light bulbs, we may have 14 billion Li-Fi's deployed worldwide for a cleaner, greener and even a brighter future."

 

sweet baby jesus. I want it naow.

 

 

[Toddwjp]

its fibre optic without the fibre

[bob345]

I find it funny how people all of a sudden think this is new technology. This is literally the same way fiber optics work and also your average ir remote control. It is a cool idea to use your existing lighting as an "access point" though

[RagnarokDel]

its fibre optic without the fibre

it's wireless

[Toddwjp]

it's wireless

 

its fibre optic WITHOUT the FIBRE

[RagnarokDel]

its fibre optic WITHOUT the FIBRE

oh... yeah derp

[LlamaDom]

its fibre optic without the fibre

So just optic then...

[WilliamDB]

So just optic then...

Wireless internet, now beamed directly into your Retina!

[DeScruff]

As great as this sounds doesn't this mean you need to be in Line of sight of the device?

It seems more a strange in-between of Wi-Fi, and Ethernet that I could see having interference issues, and they would need to perfect the ability to jump between access points.

[ComradeHX]

As great as this sounds doesn't this mean you need to be in Line of sight of the device?

It seems more a strange in-between of Wi-Fi, and Ethernet that I could see having interference issues, and they would need to perfect the ability to jump between access points.

You could use more than one LED to illuminate the room.

[Guest]

I find it funny how people all of a sudden think this is new technology. This is literally the same way fiber optics work and also your average ir remote control.

 

That's like saying a modern Formula 1 engine works 'literally the same way' as a steam engine from early locomotives cause those were also internal combustion engines.

As far as I know, no TV remote can transfer a 4.7 GB DVD rip to the television in 1/6th of a second.

[Guest]

As great as this sounds doesn't this mean you need to be in Line of sight of the device?

 

It's still light. Light bounces off walls and other objects, so it can be seen even if the source isn't.

[ObeseWalrus]

Oh golly I can't wait to have 4chan burned onto my retina. IN REAL LIFE!

[bob345]

That's like saying a modern Formula 1 engine works 'literally the same way' as a steam engine from early locomotives cause those were also internal combustion engines.

As far as I know, no TV remote can transfer a 4.7 GB DVD rip to the television in 1/6th of a second.

No, That is a horrible analogy for what i said. You could easily transfer the same amount of data with an ir led like the one found in a remote using the same protocol that normal fiber optics run on. This technology has been around literally as long a fiber optics have been. There is nothing "new" besides the use of your rooms lighting as the source rather than a dedicated source.

[Guest]

You could easily transfer the same amount of data with an ir led like the one found in a remote using the same protocol that normal fiber optics run on

But at what speeds?

As OP states, 100Gb/s optical fiber connections have become a reality only very recently and there the light travels very predictably in several separate channels with very little attenuation over distance and those connections use multiple wavelengths, something you couldn't take advantage of when using your single IR LED as a receiver.

Yeah, the basic underlying principle of a TV remote is the same, but the complexity of the hardware puts it on a completely different level.

[bob345]

But at what speeds?

As OP states, 100Gb/s optical fiber connections have become a reality only very recently and there the light travels very predictably in several separate channels with very little attenuation over distance and those connections use multiple wavelengths, something you couldn't take advantage of when using your single IR LED as a receiver.

Yeah, the basic underlying principle of a TV remote is the same, but the complexity of the hardware puts it on a completely different level.

Attaining 100Gb/s over long distance is MUCH different that 100Gb/s over 10 feet. Simply swap out the ir led in my case with a visible light led and you have exactly the same technology as the op's post describes.

[ForsakenLive]

Yeah, you will love it when playing a game everything lags to dead when your cat walks between the router and the PC....

[deviant88]

Turn  on the light so i can watch porn on my tablet at faster speeds.

[hiyayhi]

Well this is interesting but I'm not sure how well it is going to work in the practical world. The great thing about Wifi is that it travels through walls. Visable light does not.

 

Unless it is reasonably cheap to buy the "lights" I suspect we may not see widespread adoption for 10 years or so, as it still needs to be refined and then people who adopt the technology for every room would probably only be super rich to be able to rewire their house or people building a new house.

[Guest]

Simply swap out the ir led in my case with a visible light led and you have exactly the same technology as the op's post describes.

 

In the same sense that a spoon and an excavator are 'the same technology'.

[Trik'Stari]