Airlines may use lightbulbs to deliver 100 times faster internet speeds

One of the biggest limitations of existing Wi-Fi networks is that the whole system was built upon the relatively thin spectrum of radio waves. Since real estate among these wavelengths is in short supply, the radio spectrum is highly regulated by the government, and competing technologies must sometimes be reminded to stay in their lanes.

But while the radio spectrum might be cramped quarters for a rapidly growing internet-reliant global population, just down the road on the electromagnetic spectrum exists the 10,000-times-larger-than-radio visible light spectrum. It is here that some of the biggest innovations in the internet are currently taking place.

BBC reports that Estonian start-up Velmenni recently completed the first real world test of visible light spectrum-based Wi-Fi, cleverly dubbed Li-Fi by Edinburgh University professor Harald Hass after first demonstrating the technology in a 2011 TED talk. After deploying a Li-Fi internet system in a working office, the Velmenni team was able to transmit data at 1 Gbps, roughly 100 times faster than the average Wi-Fi speed. In laboratory test, the Velmenni team says theoretical speeds of 224 Gbps are possible.

Li-Fi's distribution across the visible light spectrum means that it can only work indoors. The powerful rays of the sun disrupt the signal, a security concern shared by sister light-based technology LiDAR. But within the confines of indoor spaces where the bleed from other light sources can be controlled, Li-Fi's incredible strength can make it a powerful enhancement to existing Wi-Fi networks.

The technology is already being eyed by airlines for in-flight internet service, where a light-based streaming service would eliminate existing security risks posed by devices sharing the plane's radio spectrum. The brightly lit, but predominantly interior spaces of airports are another obvious fit for the technology.

https://vimeo.com/108806315

Velmenni CEO Deepak Solanki says if all goes according to plan, Li-Fi could very well be deployed across consumer products in just three to four years. Stay tuned!