Forget about your Wi-Fi and its superfast speed, Li-Fi is here that provides 100 times more speed than traditional Wi-Fi. This new technology utilizes visible spectrum and not radio waves to achieve this kind of internet speed. In other words, Li-Fi needs a source of light, like a standard LED light, a photo detector, and internet connection to get web connectivity. Li-Fi can offer a speed of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps). At this speed a HD movie can be downloaded within seconds.

This latest technology has been tested by Velmenni, an Estonian start-up at Tallinn this week and in this test data was transmitted at the speed of 1 gigabit per second. Before this real life test, a laboratory test was carried out that showed a theoretical speed of 224 gigabit per second. Apart from high speed, Li-Fi will also provide better secure communication as well as less device interference making it much efficient than Wi-Fi.

During a 2011 TED talk conference, German physicist Prof Harald Haas of University of Edinburgh introduced this technology to the world. Back then, Prof Haas talked about using light bulbs as wireless routers to create hotspots. At the conference, the professor said that with the present infrastructure any LED lightbulb can be converted into wireless router. He stated,

In the future, we will not only have 14 billion lightbulbs, we may have 14 billion Li-Fis deployed worldwide for a cleaner, greener and even brighter future.

About the availability of this Li-Fi technology, CEO of Velmanni, Deepak Solanki said to International Business Times UK that in next “three to four years” it will reach consumers. He further added,

Currently, we have designed a smart-lighting solution for an industrial environment where the data communication is done through light. We are also doing a pilot project with a private client where we are setting up a Li-Fi network to access the Internet in their office space.

However, the drawback of Li-Fi is that as it uses visible light, it will not work through walls, outdoors, and in direct sunlight. Also, the lightbulb used for Li-Fi has to be on all the time to access internet.

Though, there are couple of limitations in Li-Fi but yet it is a revolutionary technology that can change the working of internet.

Story Inputs: International Business Times