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SO tonight, my son told me about an emerging technology he read about that looks interesting. Unlike current internet technology that uses radio waves to transmit the data from place to place, this technology uses a light bulb. Or rather one outfitted with “LI-FI” components.
According to the claims this technology could be at lease up to 100 times faster than current “Wi-Fi” internet. This could mean speeds up to 1 GBPS. This sounds great, and it is certainly a technology that could be very useful to many people.
When he, my son, first mentioned it, I was concerned about the flashes of light causing seizures. I would assume that light pulsing with data would cause the light to flicker, and that would exclude a large segment of the population, but that does not seem to be the case.
I can see a huge interest in this tech if certain things are put into place. First the network providers would have to make big changes in how data was transmitted. If things go over wires, wouldn’t they be subject to slower speeds, especially when transmitted via phone lines like many of our “WI-FI” signals are today. How much of a change would have to take place with the infrastructure before we the consumer could enjoy this service, or will existing speeds really translate into higher speeds simply because it is going from the source to our devices through light?
Also where would the lights need to be placed in the room? Would there be an adapter that can hook up to existing computers or will the computer or device need an adapter? What about tablets and phones that rely on “WI-FI” already? Another concern is how well will the signal transmit in a room flooded with outside light, or rooms were morning light shines so brightly? And what do we do when we are outside? It is nice to consider that light could replace traditional modems, but what kind of costs will all of this new Technology add to our lives?
If the bulb burns out, the network goes down. And from all I have seen, many of these new bulbs that claim to have 5 year life spans sometimes last only months in some homes. Still, the thought of speeds that could theoretically reach as high as 224Gbps does sound nice.
From what I have read, this tech is still 3-4 years away from mass use. Who knows what the future will hold? It might just be a bright future after all.
Resource: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34942685
We are influencers and brand affiliates. This post contains affiliate links, most which go to Amazon and are Geo-Affiliate links to nearest Amazon store.
I have worked in and around many different types of computers. In the Navy, I used a magtape drive computer that was a step down from pen and paper. I later worked for a big computer company and after that, taught computer class’s nation wide. I had the privilege of teaching 14,000 students in a 2 years period of time. Afterwards, I owned a small computer training and repair shop for a few years. I have owned C-64’s, Pc’s of various types, Amiga’s, and even Mac’s. I now have included the android to my collection. At any time, I have close to 15-20 computers or combinations of computers and game systems in the house. I look forward to more.