Acquired Wi-FI complications? Gentle-based Li-Fi feels like a 'brilliant' thought

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TL;DR

Li-Fi is a wi-fi knowledge system remarkably just like Wi-Fi, however makes use of gentle to ship info. Information charges can hit a gigabit a second, whereas sustaining line-of-sight privateness. pureLiFi is exhibiting off a house answer for utilizing Li-Fi to ship knowledge by home windows, for outdoor 5G reception.

Outdated-school smartphone followers didn’t get began utilizing a Galaxy, iPhone, or perhaps a Nexus — again earlier than smartphones as we all know them first took kind, we had the PDA. However previous to ubiquitous mobile connectivity, communication with PDAs was at all times a little bit of a battle. One of many extra distinctive options to emerge was IrDA, using infrared gentle to wirelessly switch info between gadgets. Now, over 20 years later, we’re questioning if light-based wi-fi communication might be about to make a return.

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<img class="e_jg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="9.375rem" title="google preferred source badge light@2x" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x.png 676w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x-64w-20h.png 64w" alt="google preferred source badge light@2x" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x.png"/><img class="e_jg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="9.375rem" title="google preferred source badge dark@2x" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png 676w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x-64w-20h.png 64w" alt="google preferred source badge dark@2x" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png"/> This yr at CES, pureLiFi is exhibiting off its newest tech based mostly on Li-Fi. As you possibly can most likely surmise from the identify, that is principally Wi-Fi that makes use of gentle, relatively than radio waves, to speak. pureLiFi has developed a tiny Li-Fi module that cellphone producers are evaluating now, combining a miniature LED and receiver in a handy bundle.

<img class="e_jg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="calc(min(calc(100vw - 1.875rem), 51.25rem) / 2)" title="lifi receiver" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-receiver.jpg 2000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-receiver-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-receiver-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-receiver-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-receiver-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-receiver-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-receiver-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-receiver-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-receiver-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="lifi receiver" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-receiver.jpg"/><img class="e_jg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="calc(min(calc(100vw - 1.875rem), 51.25rem) / 2)" title="lifi phone case" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-phone-case.jpg 2000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-phone-case-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-phone-case-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-phone-case-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-phone-case-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-phone-case-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-phone-case-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-phone-case-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-phone-case-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="lifi phone case" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lifi-phone-case.jpg"/> For CES, the corporate is demonstrating the tech included right into a cellphone case, however there’s no cause this couldn’t be baked proper right into a cellphone itself. Perhaps the good factor about it, although, is simply how seamlessly this finally ends up working — your cellphone doesn’t even need to know something particular about Li-Fi so as to use it.

That’s as a result of the underlying communication construction of Li-Fi is similar as radio-based Wi-Fi — you understand how all these flavors of Wi-Fi we’ve had through the years are generally known as 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11ac, and so forth? Effectively, Li-Fi is a member of that membership, too: 802.11bb. That guarantees to make it extremely simple so as to add to telephones.

Earlier than that, although, pureLiFi is getting began with a client product designed to assist out while you’re attempting to make use of 5G for house web entry, however have hassle getting a sign indoors.

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The pureLiFi Bridge XC mounts in your window and makes use of gentle to ship a knowledge sign by it — at speeds as much as a gigabit a second. It even sends energy wirelessly to the surface unit, so that you don’t have to fret about separate energy wires. Then, it may linked to a 5G entry level you’ve arrange wherever you’re in a position to get a robust sign.

The corporate can be exhibiting off the LiFi Dice Mini, which is principally your indoor entry level for any Li-Fi-enabled gadgets. The sign it sends is essentially line-of-sight (it may deal with restricted reflections), which pureLiFi is positioning as a privateness function — there’s no means anybody is eavesdropping remotely, like they may with radio waves. And for folks dwelling in dense city areas, this additionally means avoiding Wi-Fi interference from their neighbors.

Li-Fi tech has been in growth for years now, however with these developments it looks like we’re lastly attending to a spot the place it'd simply make sense to begin deploying extensively, identical to we've got Wi-Fi or Bluetooth in telephones immediately. Who is aware of? Gigabit IrDA on steroids might find yourself being the alternate wi-fi communication technique that solves your subsequent Wi-Fi headache in the future.