Li-Fi (commonly referred to as LiFi) is a wireless communication technology which utilizes light to transmit data and position between devices. The term was first introduced by Harald Haas during a 2011 TEDGlobal talk in Edinburgh.[1]
Li-Fi is a light communication system that is capable of transmitting data at high speeds over the visible light, ultraviolet, and infrared spectrums.
In terms of its end user, the technology is similar to Wi-Fi – the key technical difference being that Wi-Fi uses radio frequency to induce an electric tension in an antenna to transmit data, whereas Li-Fi uses the modulation of light intensity to transmit data. Li-Fi is able to function in areas otherwise susceptible to electromagnetic interference (e.g. aircraft cabins, hospitals, or military applications).[2][3]
Technology details
Li-Fi modules
Li-Fi is a derivative of optical wireless communications (OWC) technology, which uses light from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as a medium to deliver network, mobile, high-speed communication in a similar manner to Wi-Fi.[4] Projections of the LiFi market varies greatly between analysts. They range from a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17% to 63% from 2023 to 2030 and projections suggest it will grow to between $10.9 billion and $116.96 billion by 2030.[5][6]
Visible light communications (VLC) works by switching the current to the LEDs off and on at a very high speed, beyond the human eye's ability to notice.[7] Technologies that allow roaming between various Li-Fi access points, also known as handover, may allow seamless transition between such access points. The light waves cannot penetrate walls which translates to a much shorter range, and a lower hacking potential, relative to Wi-Fi.[8][9] Direct line of sight is not always necessary for Li-Fi to transmit a signal and light reflected off walls, mirrors or other reflective objects.
Li-Fi can potentially be useful in electromagnetic sensitive areas without causing electromagnetic interference.[10][9][11]Both Wi-Fi and Li-Fi transmit data over the electromagnetic spectrum, but whereas Wi-Fi utilizes radio waves, Li-Fi uses visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light.[12] Researchers have reached data rates of over 224Gbit/s.[13] Li-Fi was expected to be ten times cheaper than Wi-Fi.[14] While several Companies produce Li-Fi products such as PureLiFi,[15] Signify,[16] Oledcomm,[17] Terra Ferma[18] and others; Wi-Fi and cellular remain the predominant communications technology for consumers, business, industrial and military applications. The first commercially available Li-Fi system was presented at the 2014 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Disadvantages
Although Li-Fi LEDs would have to be kept on to transmit data, they could be dimmed to below human visibility while still emitting enough light to carry data.[14] This is also a major bottleneck of the technology when based on the visible spectrum, as it is restricted to the illumination purpose and not ideally adjusted to a mobile communication purpose, given that other sources of light, for example the sun, will interfere with the signal.[19] Most products available today use the near IR (NIR) spectrum, specifically between 780 nm and 2500 nm, is a crucial part of LiFi technology, offering a large bandwidth for high-speed data transfer.
Since Li-Fi's short wave range is unable to penetrate walls, transmitters would need to be installed in every room of a building to ensure even Li-Fi distribution. The high installation costs associated with this requirement to achieve a level of practicality of the technology is one of the potential downsides.[7][20][21]
History
The initial research on Visible Light Communication (VLC) was published by the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications in September 2009, showcasing data rates of 125 Mbit/s over a 5 m distance using a standard white LED.[22] In 2010, transmission rates were already increased to 513 Mbit/s using the DMT modulation format.[23]
During his 2011 TED Global Talk, Professor Harald Haas, a Mobile Communications expert at the University of Edinburgh, introduced the term "Li-Fi" while discussing the concept of "wireless data from every light".[24]
The general term "visible light communication" (VLC), whose history dates back to the 1880s, includes any use of the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to transmit information. The D-Light project, funded from January 2010 to January 2012 at Edinburgh's Institute for Digital Communications, was instrumental in advancing this technology, with Haas also contributing to the establishment of a company for its commercialization.[25][26]
In October 2011, the Fraunhofer IPMS research organization and industry partners formed the Li-Fi Consortium, to promote high-speed optical wireless systems and to overcome the limited amount of radio-based wireless spectrum available by exploiting a completely different part of the electromagnetic spectrum.[27]
The practical demonstration of VLC technology using Li-Fi[28] took place in 2012, with transmission rates exceeding 1 Gbit/s achieved under laboratory conditions.[29] In 2013, laboratory tests achieved speed of up to 10 Gbit/s. By August 2013, data rates of approximately 1.6 Gbit/s were demonstrated over a single color LED.[30] A significant milestone was reached in September 2013 when it was stated that Li-Fi, or VLC systems in general, did not absolutely require line-of-sight conditions.[31] In October 2013, it was reported Chinese manufacturers were working on Li-Fi development kits.[32]
In April 2014, the Russian company Stins Coman announced the BeamCaster Li-Fi wireless local network, capable of data transfer speeds up to 1.25 gigabytes per second (GB/s). They foresee boosting speeds up to 5GB/s in the near future.[33] In the same year, Sisoft, a Mexican company, set a new record by transferring data at speeds of up to 10GB/s across a light spectrum emitted by LED lamps.[34]
Current offerings by purelifi, Signify, oledcomm and Terra Ferma suggest Li-Fi full-duplex communications links can achieve over 1.0Gbps. A study published by IEEE in 2021 suggests speeds of 224 Gbps are achievable.[35]
In June 2018, Li-Fi successfully underwent testing at a BMW plant in Munich for industrial applications under the auspices of the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institute.[36]
In August 2018, Kyle Academy in Scotland, piloted the usage within its premises, enabling students to receive data through rapid on–off transitions of room lighting.[37]
In June 2019, Oledcomm, a French company, showcased its Li-Fi technology at the 2019 Paris Air Show.[38]
In January 2025, Terra Ferma, a USA company announced the launch of their Helios and Fortis Li-Fi product lines for US and NATO Government and Military applications.
Li-Fi is a wireless technology, similar to Wi-Fi, but instead of using radio waves, it uses light (like regular room lights or infrared) to send information. Think of it like high-speed Morse code using flickering light!
This is one of the first official "rulebooks" for Li-Fi, created in 2019. Here’s what makes it special:
Smart Light Communication: It uses regular LED lights (the kind in your home) and infrared to send data. The system automatically adjusts to different lighting conditions, like dim rooms or bright sunlight.[39][40]
Super Fast Speeds: With G.vlc, Li-Fi can reach speeds up to 250 Mbps for downloads and 200 Mbps for uploads—fast enough to stream 4K movies.[41]
No Interference: Unlike Wi-Fi, Li-Fi’s light signals don’t interfere with each other. You can use the same light spectrum in every room without slowdowns.
Works With Existing Tech: G.vlc uses chipsets from home internet systems (like powerline networks), making it easier and cheaper for companies to build Li-Fi products.[42]
Supports Many Devices: One Li-Fi light can connect up to 16 devices at once, like phones, laptops, or smart home gadgets.
How Does G.vlc Work?
Efficient Data Splitting: It uses a method called OFDM (like splitting data into multiple mini-streams) to avoid "traffic jams" and work even if some light signals get blocked.
DCO-OFDM: For max speed (up to 1.7 Gbps in perfect conditions).
ACO-OFDM: Slower but works in very dim lighting.
Real-World Uses
Companies like Signify (which makes Philips lights) already use G.vlc in products like Trulifi, which lets offices, hospitals, and factories get internet from their ceiling lights45. Researchers are also adding cool features like:
Motion Tracking: Using Li-Fi to locate devices in a room.
Low-Power Mode: For smart sensors that need tiny amounts of energy.
Why Standards Matter
Just like Wi-Fi needs rules to work everywhere, Li-Fi standards like G.vlc and IEEE 802.11bb (another newer standard) ensure all Li-Fi devices can "talk" to each other. This helps Li-Fi grow from labs to your living room![44]
In July 2023, the IEEE published the 802.11bb standard for light-based networking, intended to provide a vendor-neutral standard for the Li-Fi market.
Potential applications
Home and building automation
Many experts foresee a movement towards Li-Fi in homes because it has the potential for faster speeds and its security benefits with how the technology works. Because the light sends the data, the network can be contained in a single physical room or building reducing the possibility of a remote network attack. Though this has more implications in enterprise and other sectors, home usage may be pushed forward with the rise of home automation that requires large volumes of data to be transferred through the local network.[45]
Underwater application
Most remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) are controlled by wired connections. The length of their cabling places a hard limit on their operational range, and other potential factors such as the cable's weight and fragility may be restrictive. Since light can travel through water, Li-Fi based communications could offer much greater mobility.[46][unreliable source] Li-Fi's utility is limited by the distance light can penetrate water. Significant amounts of light do not penetrate further than 200 meters (660ft). Past 1,000 meters (3,300ft), no light penetrates.[47]
Aviation
Efficient communication of data is possible in airborne environments such as a commercial passenger aircraft utilizing Li-Fi. Using this light-based data transmission will not interfere with equipment on the aircraft that relies on radio waves such as its radar lifi connectivity.[48]
Hospital
Increasingly, medical facilities are using remote examinations and even procedures. Li-Fi systems could offer a better system to transmit low latency, high volume data across networks.[citation needed] Besides providing a higher speed, light waves also have reduced effects on medical instruments. An example of this would be the possibility of wireless devices being used in MRIs similar radio sensitive procedures.[48] Another application of LiFi in hospitals is localisation of assets and personnel.[49]
Vehicles
Vehicles could communicate with one another via front and back lights to increase road safety. Street lights and traffic signals could also provide information about current road situations.[50]
Outdoor Use
Due to the specific properties of light, the optical beams can be bundled especially well in comparison to radio-based devices, allowing highly directional Li-Fi systems to be implemented. Devices have been developed for outdoor use that make it more difficult to access the data due to their low beam angle, thus increasing the security of the transmission. These can be used, for example, for building-to-building communication or for networking small radio cells.
Industrial automation
Anywhere in industrial areas data has to be transmitted, Li-Fi is capable of replacing slip rings, sliding contacts, and short cables, such as Industrial Ethernet. Due to the real-time of Li-Fi (which is often required for automation processes), it is also an alternative to common industrial Wireless LAN standards. Fraunhofer IPMS, a research organization in Germany states that they have developed a component which is very appropriate for industrial applications with time-sensitive data transmission.[51]
Advertising
Street lamps can be used to display advertisements for nearby businesses or attractions on cellular devices as an individual passes through. A customer walking into a store and passing through the store's front lights can show current sales and promotions on the customer's cellular device.[52]
Warehousing
In warehousing, indoor positioning and navigation is a crucial element. 3D positioning helps robots to get a more detailed and realistic visual experience. Visible light from LED bulbs is used to send messages to the robots and other receivers and hence can be used to calculate the positioning of the objects.[53]
↑ Tsonev, Dobroslav; Videv, Stefan; Haas, Harald (18 December 2013). "Light fidelity (Li-Fi): towards all-optical networking". Proc. SPIE. Broadband Access Communication Technologies VIII. 9007 (2). Broadband Access Communication Technologies VIII: 900702. Bibcode:2013SPIE.9007E..02T. CiteSeerX10.1.1.567.4505. doi:10.1117/12.2044649. S2CID1576474.
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