40 Gbps: This New Type of Li-Fi Is 100 Times Faster Than Wi-Fi!

A new type of Li-Fi has reportedly cracked 40 Gbps, which is 100 times faster than the best Wi-Fi we currently have.

Unlike Wi-Fi, which relies on radio frequencies for Internet, Li-Fi allows us to access the Internet via light.  Digital Trends reported that the innovation, first developed in 2011, is capable of delivering speeds of up to 42Mbps and is already being used by various business partnerships.

Although Li-Fi has already improved the Wi-Fi, it still needs some enhancements. Previously, Li-Fi only relies on LED Bulbs. In addition, one bulb is used to transmit data to all connected devices, meaning as devices connected to it increases, the speed also slows down.

Researchers explored possible types of Li-Fi to address these limitations. And through many experiments, they have come up with a type which transmits data via infrared light.

PhD student Joanne Oh from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands used passive antennae to send out the data, with no moving parts, Science Alert reported. This means the speed would not be affected by the number of devices connected.

In a statement released in the website of the Eindhoven University, the researcher wrote, "Current wi-fi uses radio signals with a frequency of 2.5 or 5 gigahertz. The system conceived at TU Eindhoven uses infrared light with wavelengths of 1500 nanometers and higher."

"This light has frequencies that are thousands of times higher, some 200 terahertz, which makes the data capacity of the light rays much larger," she added.

For it to work, Daily Mail mentioned that several light antennas, equipped with a pair of gratings that transmit light rays at different wavelengths and angles, would be set up in areas. These antennas will allow you to retain your Internet connection while moving from one place to another.

The work of doctoral student Oh is part of the wider BROWSE project headed up by professor of broadband communication technology Ton Koonen, and with funding from the European Research Council. The findings are yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.