'LiFi' uses LEDs for blazing fast data transfer

A new technology called LiFi can transfer data using LED lights. In this video, we’ll watch a demo of a LiFi system made with off-the-shelf-parts, as it streams a vide.

Unlike traditional Wi-Fi routers, which use radio signals, this LiFi system relies on light to send and receive data wirelessly. If you notice an Ethernet cable plugged into the laptops that’s just to get the data from the receiver into the computer.

The problem with Wi-Fi is that it uses radio signals and the amount of radio spectrum is limited. LiFi, however, could be deployed in everyday LED bulbs and cover the entire interior of a home or office. The system on show ran at 150 Mbps, but with a more powerful LED light, it could reach 3.5 Gbps.

Don’t expect LiFi to be in your home or office any time soon. Researchers ay it will take another five years before the technology is ready for commercialization.