For years, many companies have been working on Li-Fi technology, which stands for Light Fidelity. Recently, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) officially accepted 802.11bb as the light-based wireless communication standard. This development could accelerate the adoption and implementation of the technology. The new standard opens the door for different manufacturers to produce compatible Li-Fi devices. However, it’s unlikely that Wi-Fi and Ethernet will disappear anytime soon.
Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) uses flickering light from common LED bulbs instead of radio waves to transmit data to receivers that detect photons and convert them back into information. The flickering of light is imperceptible to the human eye, as it occurs at frequencies above 60Hz, making it too fast for our eyes to detect. Li-Fi has several advantages over Wi-Fi. Unlike radio waves used in Wi-Fi, light signals are much harder to block, making the system both safer and faster. Additionally, it stands out for being more energy-efficient. A wide range of Li-Fi network devices and user devices supporting this standard is expected to appear by the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February.