LiFi Trends
LiFi Trends (Updated)
1) LiFi is Here and is Not Going Away
The need for faster and better connectivity by consumers and businesses is growing every year. Cellular connectivity and WiFi connectivity are nearly reaching their limits to this ever-growing demand. Since the viral TEDTalk presentation of LiFi by Professor Harald Haas over 11 years ago, LiFi has yet to reach the mass market. However, a lot of extensive research and applications of LiFi have been done in different environments on a global scale for the past decade. This will not stop anytime soon. Since its presentation to the global audience by the Father of LiFi, a few companies and organisations specialising in LiFi in one way or the other have arisen such as pureLiFi, Oledcomm, Signify, LightRiderInc, LiFi Infinity, LiFiLED, LightBee, Lina, Global Greenology, Zero1, Fraunhofer HHI and many more. We have also seen the rise of different LiFi systems used mainly for research, industrial and home beta testing purposes. In short, LiFi is inevitable and it is only a matter of time before it is available to the mainstream. LiFi is not going anywhere.
2) LiFi Will Still Not Replace WiFi
According to a 2022 report from DataReportal, there are over 4.95 billion active internet users. It is also estimated that there Are More Than 9 Billion WiFi Devices In The World. 82% of people check their phones while shopping in-store, and most of the time, it’s to check reviews of products before they purchase them. 96% of people prefer to shop at a business that offers free WiFi over a business that doesn’t. 47% use public Wi-Fi to cut down on cellular data usage while they’re away from home. WiFi is essential to our daily lives, especially with our mobile devices since 71% of all mobile device communications are done over WiFi.
For the 4 to 6 years, we are seeing more LiFi WiFi hybrid systems being experimented in research projects. An internet infrastructure that greatly supports WiFi connectivity and WiFi devices makes a huge difference. With these statistics and as there is no LiFi Internet infrastructure just yet, LiFi will not replace WiFi completely anytime soon but will definitively complement WiFi in so many areas where WiFi is prohibited or has limitations. However, a LiFi internet Infrastructure that can offer universal connectivity and compatibility of any LiFi devices will likely change the mentioned statistics in the years to come. This is left to be seen.
3) LiFi Miniaturisation Will Continue to Expand For IoT Devices
Miniaturisation can be defined as the process of making something very small using modern technology. The miniaturisation of electronic components has made it possible to build small portable and handheld computing devices that can be carried almost anywhere and at any time. As a result, smaller and lighter devices having high processing capacity are available on the market. Over the past decade, we have seen how LiFi systems have become smaller and smaller.
Nowadays, we have LiFi chips that enable devices to transmit Data with Light. Oledcomm Gigabit Optical Front End (OFE) LiFi micro-chip and pureLiFi Gigabit Light Antenna™ are both examples of LiFi micro-chips. We now see some tablets with some LiFi receivers in them such as the LiFiMAXTab.
We predict in the next 2 to 5 years that more devices will have LiFi components integrated into them. This means that it is only a matter of time before we see nearly all smartphones, IoT devices, computers and tablets with LiFi universal compatibility in them just like we have WiFi-enabled devices in our homes and work offices.
4) More LiFi Systems Customisation Will Be Deployed
Product customisation generally means that a customer can select specific features, functionalities, add-on components or other options to make a more unique item rather than a mass-produced one. Most LiFi companies such as pureLiFi, Oledcomm and Signify offer LiFi system customisation to the specific requirements of their clients. We are seeing this in the Defence Industry as well.
A good example of this is the Consolite Military and Navy LiFi systems for Defence requirements. Consolite is a leading producer of advanced warship lighting systems, which include LED internal lighting, LED external lighting and LED navigation lighting. Their latest development is the design and manufacture of military LiFi communication systems.
Consolite’s partnership with the Signify Team has brought the combination of Signify’s huge industrial investment with Consolite specialist military focus. As a team and partners, they are providing connectivity to Naval ship operations which are revolutionising data use at sea.
Another example is the Mobile Internet Extranet LiFi Access (MIELA) System By PoE-Tic or as we like to call it at LiFi Tech News, the portable LiFi system.
PoE-Tic develops and integrates alternative wireless network infrastructures that limit cabling work and guarantee sobriety or even total suppression of radio waves.
World leader in lighting, Signify has designed the Trulifi offer which allows transmitting high-speed data LiFi, with a bandwidth of around 150 Mbps.
PoE-Tic and Signify have combined their know-how to meet connectivity and mobility needs in environments that must be free of radio frequencies. This is how the MIELA was born; innovative LiFi equipment that combines Mobility, Sobriety and Scalability.
From 2023, we believe that we are going to see more specialists, consultants and professionals of different industries designing and deploying specific customisations of LiFi systems to their organisation and industry needs.
5) LiFi Internet Infrastructure Will Arise From 2023 Onwards
Internet infrastructure can be defined as the physical hardware, transmission media, and software used to interconnect computers and users on the Internet. Internet infrastructure is responsible for hosting, storing, processing, and serving the information that makes up websites, applications, content, broadband and many more.
Any form of wireless communication and wireless communication devices need a robust infrastructure to function properly and serve their intended purposes. LiFi technology and LiFi systems are no different to that. There is a need for a new or should we say additional internet infrastructure that could be tailored to LiFi devices and LiFi connectivity. A lot of LiFi installations and research projects in different environments are confirming this need. Broadband penetration will continue to increase globally every year as consumers seek faster and more reliable internet..
From 2023 and beyond, we will see the rise and deployment of a new LiFi Internet Infrastructure that will be tailored to LiFi systems functionalities and eventually LiFi universal compatibility. We predict that this new upcoming LiFi Internet Infrastructure will be one of the ways to start deploying LiFi on a mass market level.
6) The Rise of LiFi Cities
From 2023, there will be an increased number of large-scale LiFi projects. In some areas of the World, some communities, and cities would have deployed massive LiFi deployments. These cities will be termed as LiFi cities.
We define LiFi cities as an urban area where LiFi Internet and device connectivity are predominantly used by residents and businesses. This means LiFi connectivity in a range of environments such as residential homes, offices, casinos, libraries, transport systems, shopping malls, places of entertainment, hotels, rural areas and many more.
A smart city can be defined as an urban area where traditional networks and services are made more efficient with the use of digital solutions for the benefit of its inhabitants and business.
A smart city goes beyond the use of digital technologies for better resource use and less emissions. It means smarter urban transport networks, upgraded water supply and waste disposal facilities and more efficient ways to light and heat buildings. It also means a more interactive and responsive city administration, safer public spaces and meeting the needs of an ageing population.
7) The Development of LiFi Standards
The race to accelerate LiFi integration to the mass market will continue in the year 2023. Efforts to develop international standards for light communications in wireless and wired local area networking have been going on for the last few years.
ITU-T G.9991 standard is the 1st LiFi standard specifying the system architecture, physical (PHY) layer and data link layer (DLL) for high-speed indoor LiFi transceivers, the LiFi access points within LED and infrared lamps.
There are also at least 3 IEEE standards that are being developed to bring LiFi to the mass market. These are the IEEE 802.11bb, IEEE 802.15.7 and IEEE 802.15.13.
IEEE 802.11bb defines one medium access control (MAC) and several physical layer (PHY) specifications for wireless connectivity for fixed, portable, and moving stations (STAs) within a local area. In the near future, it could allow converting any existing WiFi chip solution into a Light Communication solution by adding cheap external circuitry.
IEEE 802.15.7 supports high-data-rate visible light communication up to 96 Mb/s by fast modulation of optical light sources which may be dimmed during their operation. IEEE 802.15.7 provides dimming adaptable mechanisms for flicker-free high-data-rate visible light communication.
IEEE 802.15.13 defines the protocol and compatible network equipment for optical wireless communications and its operation as an optical wireless personal area network (OWPAN) supporting data rates of multiple Gbit/s for wireless speciality applications. The standard defines a medium access control (MAC) layer operating in beacon-enabled or non-beacon-enabled mode and three physical layers (PHYs) enabling low complexity, low power, and high throughput. It uses light wavelengths from 10,000nm to 190 nm in optically transparent media for optical wireless communications. The standard is capable of delivering data rates up to 2.192 Gb/s at distances in the range of 200 m unrestricted line-of-sight. It is also designed for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communications and adaptation to varying channel conditions. This standard provides the following new technologies outlined below, which are not included in 802.15.7:
Mobility support between LiFi cells and between LiFi and RF
Higher data rates through better technologies
Up to 10 Gb/s short-range using RGBY LEDs
Several 100 Mb/s single-colour in wide beams (a few meters)
Discrete multi-tone (DMT, also denoted as DC-OFDM)
Closed-loop rate adaptation
Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and distributed multi-user MIMO
A few years ago, Mr Marcos Martinez from MaxLinear, said: “Standards are really the only way for these different worlds to speak to one another and collaborate successfully in stimulating the growth of the LiFi market.”
We predict that other new standards will be developed within the next 2 to 5 years.
8) LiFi Deployment in Defence Industry Will Increase
Over the last 2 or 5 years, there has been a growing demand for LiFi for many military applications. The first Large scale deployment of LiFi was with the US ARMY in the spring of 2021.
The Defence sector, particularly in the US, Europe and UK, has explored the use of LiFi and has found this technology to be reliable for the most critical communications. LiFi not only enhances the US Army’s wireless connectivity toolset but has demonstrated in action, that LiFi solves real problems faced by the defence and national security.
One of the main challenges of using radio frequencies (RF) in secure settings is that they can be detected and targeted. Kitefin is said to eliminate this risk because it can’t be detected outside its defined cone of coverage.
Andrew Foreman, chief technology officer at USAREUR-AF, once said the detection of RF systems puts soldiers and systems in “dire straits”.
“Including optical wireless in the commander’s toolbox is imperative to the survival of communications, command and control systems and, more importantly, soldiers,” he said. “Leadership within the Department of Defense are at a major transitional crossroads for communications and mission command systems and must make a critical decision.”
CW5 Andrew Foreman, USAREUR-AF Chief Technology Officer commented
“LiFi technologies answer all three of the serious issues associated with the RF portion of the spectrum. First, due to the low probability of detection, jamming, and intrusion, FSO and LiFi offer an extremely survivable form of communications when in direct conflict with a near-peer adversary.”
The recent and continued war on Ukraine has also caused a high interest and demand for LiFi for military missions. We've seen more announcements of LiFi deployment in operational and tactical environments and deployments in the Military.
From 2023, we predict that more armies based in Africa, Asia, North America, South America and Australia will explore and deploy LiFi in their tactical environments.
9) Interest and Demand of LiFi Will Continue to Increase
The demand for LiFi technology in various industries is increasing. Industrial businesses are looking to LiFi for the connection stability and low latency required by connected machinery and collaborative robotics.
The increase in the demand for high-data transmission rates among businesses is one of the key driving factors for the market. The rising movement towards deploying LiFi technologies in applications such as healthcare and security offers a favourable industry outlook. Government authorities are urged to invest in R&D programs to promote business development. Due to government policies in the ICT market, such as the introduction of smart city developments, companies are required to spend and develop in LiFi. Additionally, the growing demand for networking is expected to create ample opportunities for key players in the LiFi market. However, a lack of awareness about the technology is expected to hinder the market growth.
From 2023 onwards, we predict that more organisations, individuals and professionals will trial LiFi systems in different environments on a global scale.
10) Educating The Masses on LiFi Will Start to Intensify
For the last 5 years, the interest in using laser light for faster data transmission than LED light has been growing.
Laser LiFi is a variant of LiFi technology that uses lasers instead of visible light to transmit data. Like traditional LiFi, laser LiFi works by modulating the intensity of light waves to transmit data at high speeds.
One of the main advantages of laser LiFi is that it can achieve higher data transfer speeds than traditional LiFi. Laser LiFi systems can potentially reach speeds of up to 1 terabit per second, which is much faster than traditional LiFi systems, which can reach speeds of up to 224 gigabits per second in labs.
Another advantage of laser LiFi is that it can transmit data over longer distances than traditional LiFi, which is limited by the range of visible light. Laser LiFi can potentially transmit data over distances of up to several kilometres.
James Raring, CEO of Kyocera SLD Laser, stated at CES 2022: “We are thrilled to announce KSLD's achievement of world record LiFi data rate of 90 Gbps and our demonstration of this DataLight innovation at CES 2022 in our exhibition booth. To pioneer the future of lighting and wireless connectivity, our ultra-high speed LiFi technology is eye-safe, impervious to ambient lighting, secure, efficient, and RF-free. KSLD is commercialising LiFi solutions for customers in mobility applications, automotive, and undersea, as well as RF-sensitive environments such as airplane cabins, smart factories, healthcare, secure government facilities, and smart cities.”
11) LiFi And Laser
For the last 5 years, the interest in using laser light for faster data transmission than LED light has been growing.
Laser LiFi is a variant of LiFi technology that uses lasers instead of visible light to transmit data. Like traditional LiFi, laser LiFi works by modulating the intensity of light waves to transmit data at high speeds.
One of the main advantages of laser LiFi is that it can achieve higher data transfer speeds than traditional LiFi. Laser LiFi systems can potentially reach speeds of up to 1 terabit per second, which is much faster than traditional LiFi systems, which can reach speeds of up to 224 gigabits per second in labs.
Another advantage of laser LiFi is that it can transmit data over longer distances than traditional LiFi, which is limited by the range of visible light. Laser LiFi can potentially transmit data over distances of up to several kilometres.
James Raring, CEO of Kyocera SLD Laser, stated at CES 2022: “We are thrilled to announce KSLD's achievement of world record LiFi data rate of 90 Gbps and our demonstration of this DataLight innovation at CES 2022 in our exhibition booth. To pioneer the future of lighting and wireless connectivity, our ultra-high speed LiFi technology is eye-safe, impervious to ambient lighting, secure, efficient, and RF-free. KSLD is commercialising LiFi solutions for customers in mobility applications, automotive, and undersea, as well as RF-sensitive environments such as airplane cabins, smart factories, healthcare, secure government facilities, and smart cities.”