Here's how Li-Fi is different from Wi-Fi: Pros and Cons when compared to Wi-Fi

| Updated: Monday, August 22, 2016, 18:31 [IST]

A few days back, a relatively new technology popped out on the internet which uses Visible Light Communications (VLC) to transfer data at very high speeds. The technology was named as 'Li-Fi' which can also be known called as 'Light Fidelity'.

Here's how Li-Fi is different from Wi-Fi!

The major purpose of Li-Fi is to transfer data at high speeds and the Li-Fi technology uses LED's to do this. It is worth noticing that the Li-Fi can transfer data at a maximum speed of 224 GBPS, which is really insane considering the fact that the present generation Wi-Fi doesn't produce that transfer speeds.

When was Li-Fi initially developed and how it stacks against the current technology? Check out the sliders below to know more about Li-Fi

When and Where Did Li-Fi Originate?

The initial term Li-Fi was first introduced by the University of Edinburgh Professor- 'Harald Haas' in a TED tech summit. The summit took place around five years ago which means LI-Fi already has a history of five years.

At the TED talk, the professor admitted that the light bulbs (LED's) can be used as wireless routers to transfer data, which is now called as Li-Fi.

Li-Fi Mechanism

The Li-Fi offers the same functionality as the Wi-Fi, however, Li-Fi uses visible light to transfer the data, whereas the Wi-Fi uses radio waves.

Actual Mechanism

The professor stated that the LED bulb is a semiconductor light source. If the LED is given a constant amount of electricity, it will become less bright and converts down to liquid and transfers data at extremely high speeds, which can't even visible to naked eye.

Li-Fi vs Wi-Fi

As mentioned earlier, the Li-Fi achieves a maximum speed of 224GBPS, which is really impressive when compared the same with Wi-Fi.

Li-Fi Drawbacks

Li-Fi has its own drawbacks when compared to Wi-Fi as the latter will struggle to pass data through walls which apparently leads to connectivity issues. That said, you need to adopt light bulbs at particular places in your home or office to enjoy full connectivity.

However, researchers concluded that Li-Fi is way too secure when compared to Wi-Fi due to its shorter range.

Li-Fi Future

Back in 2015, the inventors of Li-Fi joined with a french company to manufacture Li-Fi enabled devices to the market and they are available in market Li-Flame Ceiling Unit and Li-Flame Desktop Unit.

Also, there are some rumors which suggested that Apple is trying to manufacture an iPhone with Li-Fi connectivity onboard. With its high-speed data transfer technology, Li-Fi will be one of the major change in the technology world in coming years.