Special Issue - 2017 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)

ISSN: 2278-0181
VIMPACT - 2017 Conference Proceedings

A Review Paper on Li-Fi Technology

Nischay
Department of Electronics & Communication
Vivekananda Institute of Technology, Jaipur
Jaipur, India

Abstract – Li-Fi stands for Light Fidelity. The technology is Communication (VLC) in July 2011, by introducing it as
very new and was proposed by the German physicist Harald “data through illumination”. He used a table lamp with an
Haas in 2011 TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Global LED bulb to transmit a video of a blooming flower that was
Talk on Visible Light Communication (VLC). Li-Fi is a then projected onto a screen. In simple terms, Li-Fi can be
wireless optical networking technology that uses light emitting
thought of as a light-based Wi-Fi i.e. instead of radio waves
diodes (LEDs) for transmission of data. The term Li-Fi refers
to visible light communication (VLC) technology that uses light it uses light to transmit data. In place of Wi-Fi modems, Li-
as medium to deliver high-speed communication in a manner Fi would use transceivers fitted with LED lamps that could
similar to Wi-Fi and complies with the IEEE standard IEEE light a room as well as transmit and receive information. By
802.15.7. The IEEE 802.15.7 is a high-speed, bidirectional and adding new and unutilized bandwidth of visible light to the
fully networked wireless communication technology based currently available radio waves for data transfer, Li-Fi can
standard similar to Wi-Fi’s IEEE 802.11. This paper focuses on play a major role in relieving the heavy loads which the
Li-Fi, its applications, features and comparison with existing current wireless system is facing. Thus it may offer
technologies like Wi-Fi etc. Wi-Fi is of major use for general additional frequency band of the order of 400 THz
wireless coverage within building, whereas Li-Fi is ideal for
compared to that available in RF communication which is
high density wireless data coverage in confined area and
especially useful for applications in areas where radio about 300 GHz. Also, as the Li-Fi uses the visible spectrum,
interference issues are of concern, so the two technologies can it will help alleviate concerns that the electromagnetic
be considered complimentary. Li-Fi provides better waves coming with Wi-Fi could adversely affect our health.
bandwidth, efficiency, connectivity and security than Wi-Fi By Communication through visible light, Li-Fi technology
and has already achieved high speeds larger than 1 Gbps under has the possibility to change how we access the Internet,
the laboratory conditions. By Leveraging the low-cost nature of stream videos, receive emails and much more. Security
LEDs and lighting units, there are lots of opportunities to would not be an issue as data can’t be accessed in the
exploit this medium. Li-Fi is the transfer of data through light absence of light. As a result, it can be used in high security
by taking fiber out of fiber optics and sending data through
military areas where RF communication is prone to
LED light bulb.
eavesdropping.
Keywords:- LI-FI, WI-FI, Visible Light Communication, Radio
Spectrum. ARCHITECTURE OF LI-FI
Li-Fi which can be the future of data communication
INTRODUCTION appears to be a fast and cheap optical version of Wi-Fi.
In today’s world of overcrowded (data communication), Li- Being a Visible Light Communication (VLC), Li-Fi uses
Fi is a new and efficient way of wireless communication. Li- visible light of electromagnetic spectrum between 400 THz
Fi uses LED lights to transmit data. The Transmission of and 800 THz as optical carrier for data transmission and
data is done wirelessly. The current wireless networks that illumination. It uses fast pulses of light to transmit
connect us to the Internet becomes very slow when many information in wireless medium. The main components of a
devices are connected. Also with the increase in the number basic Li-Fi system may contain the following:
of devices, which uses the Internet, the availability of fixed
bandwidth makes it much more difficult to enjoy high data a) A high brightness white LED which acts as transmission
transfer rates and to connect a secure network. Radio waves source.
are just a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum
available for data transfer. Li-Fi has got a much broader b) A silicon photodiode with good response to visible light
spectrum for transmission of data compared to conventional as the receiving element.
methods of wireless communications that are done on radio
waves. The basic idea behind this technology is that the data Turning the LEDs on and off can make them generate
can be transferred through LED light by varying light digital strings with different combination of 1s and 0s. To
intensities faster than the human eyes can’t detect. This generate a new data stream, data can be encoded in the light
technology uses a part of the electromagnetic spectrum that by varying the flickering rate of the LED. In this way, the
is still not generally utilized- The Visible Spectrum, instead LEDs work as a transmitter by modulating the light with the
of Gigahertz radio waves for transferring of data. data signal. The LED output appears constant to the human
The idea of Li-Fi was introduced for the first time by a because they are made to flicker at a phenomenal speed
German physicist Harald Hass in the TED (Technology, (millions of times per second) and it’s impossible for human
Entertainment, Design) Global talk on Visible Light eye to detect this frequency. Communication rate more than

Volume 5, Issue 23 Published by, www.ijert.org 1

 Special Issue - 2017 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
VIMPACT - 2017 Conference Proceedings

100 Mbps can be achieved by using high speed LEDs with plasma state at the bulb’s centre. And this controlled plasma
the help of various multiplexing techniques. And this VLC in turn will produce an intense source of light. All of these
data rate can be further increased to as high as 10 Gbps via subassemblies are contained in an aluminum enclosure as
parallel data transmission using an array of LED lights with shown in Fig. 2 above.
each LED transmitting a different data stream.
Working of Li-Fi
The Li-Fi transmitter system consists of four primary Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) technology is a wireless
subassemblies: communication system based on the use of visible light
between the violet (800 THz) and red (400 THz). Unlike
 Bulb Wi-Fi which uses the radio part of the electromagnetic
spectrum, Li-Fi uses the optical spectrum i.e. Visible light
 RF Power Amplifier Circuit (PA) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The principle of Li-Fi
is based on sending data by amplitude modulation of the
 Printed Circuit Board (PCB) light source in a well-defined and standardized way. LEDs
can be switched on and off faster than the human eyes can
 Enclosure detect since the operating speed of LEDs is less than 1
microsecond. This invisible switching activity enables data
transmission using binary codes. If the LED is on, a digital
signal ‘1’ is transmitted and if the LED is off, a digital
signal ‘0’ is transmitted. Also these LEDs can be turned on
and off very quickly which gives us a very nice opportunity
for transmitting data through LED lights, because there are
no interfering light frequencies like that of the radio
frequencies in Wi-Fi. Li-Fi is thought to be 80% more
efficient, which means it can reach speeds of up to 1Gbps
and even beyond. Li-Fi differs from fibre optic because the
Li-Fi protocol layers are suitable for wireless
communication over short distances (up to 10 meters).This
puts Li-Fi in a unique way of extremely fast and efficient
wireless communication over short distances.

Fig 2: Block Diagram of Li-Fi sub assemblies.

(Source:http://www.ijcta.com/documents/volumes/vol5issue1/ijcta2014050
121.pdf)

The Printed circuit board (PCB) controls the electrical

inputs and outputs of the lamp and houses the
microcontroller used to manage different lamp functions. A
Radio Frequency (RF) signal is generated by the Power
Amplifier and is directed into the electric field of the bulb.
As a result of the high concentration of energy in the electric
field, the contents of the bulb will get vaporized into a

How It Works:- sensor) on the receiving end receives the data as light signal
The working of Li-Fi is very simple. There is a light emitter and decodes the information, which is then displayed on the
on one end i.e. an LED transmitter, and a photo detector device connected to the receiver. The receiver (photo
(light sensor) on the other. The data input to the LED detector) registers a binary ‘1’ when the transmitter (LED) is
transmitter is encoded in to the light (technically referred to ON and a binary ‘0’ when the transmitter (LED) is OFF.
as Visible Light Communication) by varying the rate at Thus flashing the LED numerous times or using an array of
which the LEDs turns ‘on’ and ‘off’ to achieve different LEDs (perhaps of a few different colours) will eventually
strings of 1s and 0s. The on off activity of the LED provide data rates in the range of hundreds of Mbps. The Li-
transmitter which seems to be invisible (The LED intensity Fi working is explained in a block diagram (Fig.6).
is modulated so fast that human eye cannot notice it, so the
light of the LED appears constant to humans), enables data
transmission in light form in accordance with the incoming
binary codes: switching ON a LED is a logical '1', switching
it OFF is a logical '0'. By varying the rate at which the LEDs
turns on and off, information can be encoded in the light to
different combinations of 1s and 0s.In a typical setup, the
transmitter (LED) is connected to the data network (Internet
through the modem) and the receiver (photo detector/light

Volume 5, Issue 23 Published by, www.ijert.org 2

 Special Issue - 2017 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
VIMPACT - 2017 Conference Proceedings

Table 1: Comparison of speed of various wireless technologies

Technology Speed
Li-Fi ~1 Gbps
Wi-Fi – IEEE 802.11n ~150 Mbps
IrDA ~4 Mbps
Bluetooth ~3 Mbps
NFC ~424 Kbps

Table 2: Comparison of Wi-Fi and Li-Fi

Parameter Li-Fi Wi-Fi
Spectrum Used Visible Light RF
Standard IEEE 802.15.7 IEEE 802.11
Range Based on Light Based on Radio
Intensity (< 10m) propagation &
Fig 6: Block diagram of Li-Fi Sub System. interference ( < 300 m)
Data Transfer Rate Very high ( ~1 Low (100 Mbps-1 Gbps)
Hence all that is required, is some or an array of LEDs and a Gbps)
controller that controls/encodes data into those LEDs. All Power consumption Low High
one has to do is to vary the rate at which the LEDs flicker Cost Low High
depending upon the data input to LEDs. Further data rate Bandwidth Unlimited limited
enhancements can be made in this method, by using array of
the LEDs for parallel data transmission, or using mixtures of Advantages of Li-Fi
red , green and blue LEDs to alter the light’s frequency, with a) Efficiency: Energy consumption can be minimized with
each frequency encoding a different data channel. Figure 7 the use of LED illumination which are already available in
shows working/deployment of a Li-Fi system connecting the
the home, offices and Mall etc. for lighting purpose. Hence
devices in a room.
the transmission of data requiring negligible additional
power, which makes it very efficient in terms of costs as
well as energy.

b) High speed: Combination of low interference and high

bandwidth and also high-intensity output, help Li-Fi provide
high data rates i.e. 1 gbps or even beyond.

c) Availability: Availability is not an issue as light sources

are present everywhere. Wherever there is a light source,
there can be Internet. Light bulbs are present almost
everywhere – in homes, offices, shops, malls and also in
planes, which can be used as a medium for the data
transmission. d) Cheaper: Li-Fi not only requires fewer
components for its working, but also uses only a negligible
Fig 7: Li-Fi system connecting devices in a room additional power for the data transmission.
(Source:http://ijariie.com/AdminUploadPdf/Review_Paper_on_Li_
Fi__Light_Fidelity__ijariie2056.pdf) e) Security: One main advantage of Li-Fi is security. Since
light cannot pass through opaque structures, Li-Fi internet is
Comparison Between Li-Fi and, Wi-Fi and other Radio available only to the users within a confined area and cannot
Communication technologies be intercepted and misused, outside the area under
Both Wi-Fi and Li-Fi can provide wireless Internet access to operation.
users, and both the technologies transmit data over
electromagnetic spectrum. Li-Fi is a visible light f) Li-Fi technology has a great scope in future. The
communication technology useful to obtain high speed extensive growth in the use of LEDs for illumination indeed
wireless communication. The difference is: Wi-Fi provides the opportunity to integrate the technology into a
technology uses radio waves for transmission, whereas Li-Fi plethora of environments and applications.
utilizes light waves. Wi-Fi works well for general wireless
coverage within building/campus/compound, and Li-Fi is Limitations of Li-Fi
ideal for high density wireless data coverage inside a  Internet cannot be accessed without a light source. This
confined area or room and is free from interference issues could limit the locations and
unlike the Wi-Fi.  Situations in which Li-Fi could be used. It requires a
near or perfect line-of-sight to transmit data
Table I shows a comparison of transfer speed of various  Opaque obstacles on pathways can affect data
wireless technologies. Table II shows a comparison of Li-Fi transmission
with Wi-Fi.

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 Special Issue - 2017 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
VIMPACT - 2017 Conference Proceedings

 Natural light, sunlight, and normal electric light can reduction in accident numbers. Also, LED car lights can
affect the data transmission speed alert drivers when other vehicles are too close.
 Light waves don’t pass through walls and so Li-Fi has a
much shorter range than Wi-Fi g) Mobile Connectivity: Mobiles, laptops, tablets, and other
 High initial installation cost, if used to set up a full- smart phones can easily connect with each other. The short-
fledged data network. range network of Li-Fi can yield exceptionally high data
 Yet to be developed for mass scale adoption. rates and higher security.

Applications of Li-Fi i) Equivalent for other technologies: Li-Fi doesn‘t work

There are numerous applications of Li-Fi technology:- using radio waves. So, it can be easily used in the places
where Bluetooth, infrared, Wi-Fi, etc. are banned easily
a) Education systems: Li-Fi is the latest technology that can used in the places where Bluetooth, infrared, Wi-Fi, etc. are
provide fastest speed for Internet access. So, it can banned.
augment/replace Wi-Fi at educational institutions and at
companies so that the people there can make use of Li-Fi Future Scope
with the high speed. As light is everywhere and free to use, there is a great scope
for the use and evolution of LiFi technology. If this
b) Medical Applications: Operation theatres (OTs) do not technology becomes mature, each Li-Fi bulb can be used to
allow Wi-Fi due to radiation concerns. Usage of Wi-Fi at transmit wireless data. As the Li-Fi technology becomes
hospitals interferes/blocks the signals for monitoring popular, it will lead to a cleaner, greener, safer
equipments. So, it may have hazardous effect to the patient's communications and have a bright future and environment.
health, due to improper working of medical apparatus. To The concept of Li-Fi is deriving many people as it is free
overcome this and to make OT tech savvy Li-Fi can be used (require no license) and faster means of data transfer. If it
to access internet and also to control medical equipments. evolves faster, people will use this technology more and
This will be beneficial for conducting robotic surgeries and more.
other automated procedures. Li-Fi Roadmap

c) Cheaper Internet in Aircrafts: The passengers travelling in

aircrafts get access to low speed Internet that too at a very
high price. Also Wi-Fi is not used because it may interfere
with the navigational systems of the pilots. In aircrafts Li-Fi
can be used for data transmission. Li-Fi can easily provide
high speed Internet through every light source such as
reading bulb, etc. present inside the airplane.

d) Underwater applications: Underwater ROVs (Remotely

Operated Vehicles) operate from large cables that supply
their power and allow them to receive signals from their Fig 8: Li-Fi Roadmap
pilots above. But the chain used in ROVs is not long enough (Source:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284173584_Light_Fidelit
to allow them to explore larger areas. If their wires were y_LiFi_The_new_wireless_communication_system)
replaced with light — say from a submerged, highpowered
lamp — then they would be much freer to explore. They At Present, LBS (location Based Service) or Broadcast are
could also use their headlamps to communicate with each commercially available. The next step could be a Li-Fi
other, processing data individually and sending their WLAN for B2B market with high added value on specific
findings periodically back to the surface. Li-Fi can even business cases and could grow towards mass market. In the
work underwater where Wi-Fi fails completely, thereby long term, the Li-Fi could become an alternative solution to
throwing open endless opportunities for military underwater radio for wireless high data rate room connectivity and new
operations. adapted service, such as augmented or virtual reality.
e) Disaster management: Li-Fi can be used as a powerful CONCLUSION
means of communication in field of disaster such as Although there’s still a long way to make this technology a
earthquake or hurricanes. The average people may not know commercial success, it promises a great potential in the field
the protocols during such disasters. Subway stations and of wireless internet. A significant number of researchers 15
tunnels, common dead zones for most emergency and companies are currently working on this concept, which
communications, pose no obstruction for Li-Fi promises to solve the problem of lack of radio spectrum,
space and low internet connection speed. By deployment of
f) Traffic management: In traffic signals Li-Fi can be used this technology, we can migrate to greener, cleaner, safer
to communicate with passing vehicles (through the LED communication networks. The very concept of Li-Fi
lights of the cars etc) which can help in managing the traffic promises to solve issues such as, shortage of radio-
in a better manner resulting into smooth flow of traffic and frequency bandwidth and eliminates the disadvantages of
Radio communication technologies. Li-Fi is the upcoming

Volume 5, Issue 23 Published by, www.ijert.org 4

 Special Issue - 2017 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
VIMPACT - 2017 Conference Proceedings

and growing technology acting as catalyst for various other

developing and new inventions/technologies. Therefore,
there is certainty of development of future applications of
the Li-Fi which can be extended to different platforms and
various walks of human life.

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Volume 5, Issue 23 Published by, www.ijert.org 5