Internet Access and Speakers - Bulbs That Do More Than Lighting

Since 2010, LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs have become the more
desirable, cost-effective alternative to traditional incandescent and
fluorescent lighting for residential, commercial, and public spaces. Its costsaving technology, better light quality, durability, and lower cost of
operations compared to its predecessors have made it a market favorite.
Researchers have begun looking to innovate with those same characteristics
in recent years, but for purposes other than simply lighting a room or
appliance. Who would have thought that LEDs could also be used to transmit
sound or Internet data?
For starters, several companies have come out with a slew of LED speakerbulbs and LED light bulbs that also double as speakers. They can be screwed
into traditional light bulb sockets, be they on walls, ceilings, or lamp stands.
These smart LED bulbs are outfitted with computer microchips and can be
switched on or off and manipulated via an adaptor or a Bluetooth application
that you can download onto your mobile phone, tablet, or laptop. Some LED
speaker-bulbs offer more than 100 different light colors blinking while the
device is playing music. However, the real beauty of this innovation stems
from the practicality of offering music or other data without using up more
energy other than what is already being expended by the bulb.
On a complementary but grander scale perhaps, the innovation spotlight is
shining on LiFi for Internet connectivity, which has the potential to
complement, if not altogether replace, WiFi in coming years. LiFi technology
uses LED bulbs (i.e., visible light) to transmit data imperceptibly via bidirectional wireless networking. These bulbs are fitted with a computer
microchip that enables light modulation for data transmission.
Photoreceptors then receive the LiFi data. Thus, you can theoretically receive
Internet data just by being within direct line of sight of any LED beam, from
your bedside desk lamp to your front porch lighting and even your cars
headlights.
There are clear advantages of LiFi over WiFi. Take a look at the following:

1. LiFi has the potential to transmit Internet data at higher speeds than
WiFi, which uses radio frequencies for wireless data transmission. Currently,
lab experiments show that strong LEDs have enabled from 5-Mbps
(megabits-per-second) up to 10-Gbps (gigabits-per-second) Internet data
transmission.
2. Because LiFi technology only works with visible LED light, the data
transmission is more secure as any interception would require blocking the
line of sight within the room.
3. This same optical technology prevents the possibility of piggybacking, or
using anothers unsecured WiFi network unauthorized, by getting within
range of that WiFis hotspot signal and connecting to the Internet there.
4. Whereas WiFis radio frequency technology can be impeded by radio
interference, LiFis technology doesnt have that problem and this may
have positive implications for data transmission in locations with sensitive
electronics, like airplanes and hospitals.
5. Because LiFi only needs existing, microchip-outfitted lighting fixtures,
Internet data can be transmitted in a controlled but potentially expansive
range within a given location. In contrast, the coverage of a single WiFi
router is more limited.
On the flip side, LiFis redeeming characteristics also present some
drawbacks. For one, while WiFis radio waves can travel through walls and
floors, LiFis requisite, narrowly-focused light beams obviously cannot
(unless those walls and floors are made of clear glass). Thus, while LED light
beams facilitate the creation of separate downlink and uplink channels
which redound to better cyber security traditional building design
structures with opaque walls and floors create an obstacle to the maximal
usage of LiFi in a secured setting.
All things considered, the positive potential for LiFi application from regular
households to more security-sensitive locales (government offices, financial
institutions, hospitals, aircraft, and so forth) seems endless. Aside from
secure uplink and downlink channels, customized LiFi content can also be
transmitted to specified locales, so you know exactly who receives which
data and where even if these people are all in the same room.

Furthermore, LiFis far-reaching potential is impressive. There are studies on

how LiFi technology can save airline companies considerable money, have
more seating design flexibility, and eliminate the usage of heavy cables and
copper wiring for Internet connectivity on their planes. It stands to reason
that this same cost- and weight-saving technology can be applied to
spacecraft.
Finally, LiFi technology bodes to be a future problem solver, with light
technology circumventing the problem of ever-increasing radio frequency
interference from billions of wireless devices on the planet foreseen within
the coming decade. As LED innovations continue, the possibilities and
advantages we can glean from a simple light bulb seem limitless.