You ’ve heard of Wi - Fi , but what about Li - Fi ? The newer wireless engineering science is capable of transmitting data point up to 100x quicker than Wi - Fi .

Here ’s everything you need to know about Li - Fi , include what it is , how it stack up to Wi - Fi and where you may find it …

What is Li-Fi?

Li - Fi is a eccentric of wireless connexion that uses visible calorie-free waves to send data from one equipment to another . This have it significantly quicker than Wi - Fi , which relies on radiocommunication wave to do the same matter .

The technology works when an LED light incandescent lamp emits pulse of light indiscernible to the human eye . These pulses carry data , moving that data to and from receivers – or Li - Fi - enable devices – capable of construe it .

Lifi.cocompares this method of transmitting data point to decoding Morse codification , albeit at a importantly faster rate .

Is Li-Fi better than Wi-Fi?

Li - Fi touts a number of advantages over Wi - Fi .

The most obvious benefit of Li - Fi is its speed . Li - Fi ’s dissipated transmittal speeds are possible due to the high bandwidth found in the light spectrum ( it ’s around 10,000x bigger than the radio - undulation spectrum Wi - Fi answer on ) . This allows the wireless technology to send information up to 100x faster than the average Wi - Fi connection , and 14x quicker than WiGig .

Li - Fi can also be used in a wide range of locations . This includes orbit susceptible to electromagnetic interference , such as hospital operation theatres , aircraft cabins and below the ocean , as well as dense surroundings typically prostrate to interference with a Wi - Fi connection .

It ’s also interesting to note that the infrastructure for Wi - Fi is already part in place , due to the fact our streets and home are filled with LED lights .

One major disadvantage to Li - Fi is its short coverage length .

Li - Fi ’s range is confine to around 10 m , in part due to physical barrier as light is unable to pass through walls . While this has its benefits when it comes to privacy , it ’s in the end not as commodious as Wi - Fi ’s 32 m range and power to travel through walls .

For this reason , it ’s unlikely that Li - Fi will altogether replace Wi - Fi anytime before long .

Is Li-Fi available now?

It ’s been over a decade since the terminus Li - Fi was first strike by Professor Harald Haas in his 2011 TED Global public lecture . Haas has since co - found the society pureLiFi to wreak Li - Fi - enable products to the food market .

According to pureLiFi , the company ’s Li - fi systems are already being used by the armed forces to offer untroubled wireless communication theory with no radio signature tune . The technology has been test in a variety of other applications , including Air France flights , a school in Scotland anda test by O2 .

However , the engineering science is still a turn forth from taking over our homes .