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But now there seems to be a WHOLE LOT more to say about it.
For those of you new to LiFi, the term stands for Light Fidelity and is a method by which light is used to transmit data for two-way, high-speed wireless communication like WiFi (but via light waves instead of radio waves). Specialized luminaires basically pulse/modulate light at speeds imperceptible to the human eye yet detectable by a LiFi USB decoder plugged into a device (like a dongle) or built-in to a smartphone or other portable device. The LiFi decoder then returns data to the luminaire through an infrared link. The concept has been around for about a decade but appears to finally be gaining significant traction.
@Signify is actively moving the ball forward with their recent acquisition of a second LiFi company and numerous pilot trials throughout Europe, North America and Asia. And now it sounds like the airline industry is getting *on board* as well.
According to Aircraft Interiors International, Li-fi is The Next Big Thing for Inflight Connectivity. It’s not enough for consumers to be able to check email and surf the web while flying to their destination, they also want to be able to stream Star Wars at Warp Speed.
Zumbotel, one of the European market leaders for professional lighting and associated services, is also testing LiFi alongside their LED lights with an eye towards enabling medical, defense, industrial and manufacturing markets.
Even the standards bodies are embracing LiFi now and are working to define and finalize the new 802.11bb standard for release in 2021.
No doubt the benefits of LiFi such as Gigabit speed, interference free communications, 1000 times the data density, proximity-based security, low latency, geofencing capabilities and more make it extremely attractive for a myriad of applications. Stadiums, Hospitals, and Government facilities will likely be some of the first to capitalize on the technology as the rest of us wait for it to trickle down and start making an appearance in our homes and offices.