This new wi-fi is 100 times faster than normal wi-fi. That’s 23 DVDs in a second. I can’t even

Last Updated on 2016-05-18 , 4:58 pm

Step aside Wi-Fi, the era of Li-fi is coming.

Invented by Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh, Li-Fi is an optical wireless technology that has demonstrated speeds of over 200 Gbps–that’s 100 times faster than Wi-Fi. To put into context how fast that is, it’s speedy enough to download 23 DVDs in just one second. Imagine all the dramas and movies that you can watch!

How it works
Short form for Light fidelity, Li-Fi’s technology uses Visible Light Communication (VLC) as a transmission medium. The light is rapidly turned on and off in a certain pattern to transmit things in binary code–similar to how a Morse Code functions. And while you might start to worry about the flickering of lights being a nuisance, you’ll be glad to know that it’s invisible to the naked eye.

Unlike Wi-Fi which tends to slow under heavy usage or shared among too many devices, the usage of Li-Fi avoids this problem since data is transmitted via visible light spectrum and not radio spectrum. To get your device connected to the Internet, all you have to do is to place it directly under the LED light.

Security benefits
Other than being faster than Wi-Fi, Li-Fi also offers more security. This is because light cannot pass through walls and is also less susceptible to interferences by other devices. No more worrying about others hacking into your network and stealing your data! Li-Fi also does not interfere with the frequencies of sensitive devices so it is ideal for places like hospitals and aircrafts.

Disadvantages
On the down side, gadgets and devices have to be placed directly under the LED light in order for it to be connected. This makes Li-fi only ideal for small spaces. Additionally, most of our buildings and offices have already been fitted with the infrastructure to support Wi-Fi. Hence, it would not be feasible to just strip everything apart for the replacement of Li-Fi.