Li-Fi Technology: Principle, Future Scope, Challenges and Applications
Arun Agarwal, Chandan Mohanta, Gourav Misra
Abstract
Within a couple of decades we have headed from large and heavy devices used for voice communication alone to small and compact smart devices those are capable of handling multitasking operations as well as browsing through high-speed internet and HD video streaming. The stark difference among the previous generations and now is the rate of flow of data. If we want to expand our capabilities we need to proportionately increase the data rate keeping further exponential growth in the future too. This thesis investigates a heterogeneous network that comprises a Li-Fi and a Wi-Fi wireless fidelity network. Two tiers of miniature attocells of Li-Fi that use the visible light spectrum are used, resulting in a significant boost in wireless network's data transmission in the indoor environment. The frequency bands of LiFi and Wi-Fi do not overlap, as they belong to completely different spectrum. Unlike Wi-Fi access points (APs), Li-Fi access points (APs) cover a smaller area where even a minor client movement can result in multiple handoffs between Li-Fi attocells, impairing system performance.. As the span of handover decreases, however, the Li-Fi data rate increases with the increased bandwidth of the Li-Fi AP that is serving the client. Additionally, a comprehensive comparison between LiFi and Wi-Fi has been elaborated.