A very interesting concept to complement, if not completely replace, WiFi:

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2015/11...-than-wifi.html?intcmp=hpffo&intcmp=obnetwork

 

I don't see how it could be practical.

 

Seems like a step back to me. While speeds may increase, there are plenty of downfalls. You can't use your computer to access the internet in a dark room, for example, can't use it outside, can't use it when it's bright and sunny, not to mention having to route internet cables along next to your AC power cables. I just don't think it's viable, personally.

Matt

 

Seems like a step back to me. While speeds may increase, there are plenty of downfalls. You can't use your computer to access the internet in a dark room, for example, can't use it outside, can't use it when it's bright and sunny, not to mention having to route internet cables along next to your AC power cables. I just don't think it's viable, personally.

Matt

The way I understand it is each light source will be fitted with an a receiver transmitter so the light does not necessarily be on. But would that mean special lighting fitted with those devices? And how do you communicate from room to room?

 

The way I understand it is each light source will be fitted with an a receiver transmitter so the light does not necessarily be on. But would that mean special lighting fitted with those devices? And how do you communicate from room to room?

As I understood it the data would be transmitted by the light.

 

Then the light would need to be on? That would not be practical.

 

Then the light would need to be on? That would not be practical.

My point exactly.

 

My point exactly.

Infrared, anyone?

 

Infrared, anyone?

Would still require LOS, and still would not work in a brightly-sunlit room. Not practical.

 

Would still require LOS, and still would not work in a brightly-sunlit room. Not practical.

Yes unless the team somehow magically eliminated the laws of physics.

 

My experience is the computer you are using is usually the slow link. Most of us do not use gaming or hyperfast machines.

 

What I'm wondering is, if you really take the necessary steps to optically isolate the room that you'd be working at, then you don't really need a perfect line of sight to the source, since the entire room would be lit with the modulated light and the computer could use the optical signals from all reflective (and illuminated) sources.
Transmitting from the computer to the link would be a different thing, though.

 

You would need a light in every room (to have devices in all rooms). My whole house is rarely all light up. At night all the lights are off but I still listen to iHeart Radio on my tablet.

And what happens in the day time?

 

Now if you can figure some way to modulate existing ambient light then that would be way cool!

 

This has been tried before and failed to catch on. Maybe these people have fixed whatever the problem was (maybe financing or licensing). But what about outdoor use?

 

This has been tried before and failed to catch on. Maybe these people have fixed whatever the problem was (maybe financing or licensing). But what about outdoor use?

The article does mention that outdoor use is a weakness. But maybe they have solved key technical issues with indoors use that give the technology a competitive opportunity.

 

Yes, maybe some of the hurdles have been overcome:

https://www.newscientist.com/articl...dea-how-light-based-li-fi-could-unseat-wi-fi/

It's too bad that one needs to have an active account to view the full article.

 

Could be a solution for the tinfoil hat crowd that doesn't want to be surrounded by wifi all the time.

I wonder what bandwidth you could get from a streetlight.

 

This has been tried before and failed to catch on. Maybe these people have fixed whatever the problem was (maybe financing or licensing). But what about outdoor use?

Outdoor use? Imagine a nice cool white LED source with lots of stray blue/UV emissions. Like attracting May Flies with a Mercury Vapor light. Imagine the bugs in the communications.

Rain Drops...

Fog...

Beijing pollution...