In 2016, the MN Broadband Task Force learned about Li-Fi and I haven’t seen much about it since until a recent article in IEEE Spectrum…

The recent adoption of IEEE 802.11bb has launched light fidelity, or Li-Fi, which opened the door into an era of wireless communication for advanced Wi-Fi technologies. Li-Fi enables Wi-Fi to use light waves instead of radio waves to transmit and receive data.

IEEE 802.11bb defines the rules for how Li-Fi devices will communicate with each other and how fast they can transfer data. According to the standard, such devices should be able to send and receive data at speeds between 10 megabits per second and 9.6 gigabits per second.

The standard introduces a new realm of fast, reliable wireless communication that promises to revolutionize the way we connect and communicate.

Here are some of the comparisons to Wi-Fi…

Li-Fi enables high-speed wireless connectivity with data rates of up to 100 Mb/s per square meter, making it ideal for densely populated areas, i.e., conference rooms and classrooms. The technology operates in additional unregulated spectrum, where it has no interference with RF-based wireless technologies.

Enhanced security is another advantage, as Li-Fi communication is confined to the physical boundaries of the light signal, such as the inside of a room, making it difficult to intercept.

However, Li-Fi has limitations. Its range is relatively short—typically limited to a few meters in a single room—which means that it requires a dense network of access points for broader coverage.

Additionally, the available bandwidth can be constrained by the capabilities of light sources and detectors. Implementing Li-Fi infrastructure can also be more expensive compared with Wi-Fi.

Because I find it easy to get confused, I’ll point out that this isn’t a way to reach remote locations, it’s a way to make sure everyone at the Vikings game can post on the social media.