Mobile cellular communication systems portray the perfect example of innovation step by step. Evolving from 1G to 2G to 3G to 4G and now 5G, this is the innovation that is sure to change the cellular communication systems for better!
The 5G mobile cellular communications system is sure to provide a much higher level of performance than the previous generations of the cellular communication systems. This isn’t just the regular next level of mobile communication but is a solid advancement in this field. 5G will also enable a rapid increase in the amount of data transmitted over wireless systems due to the massive bandwidth that is available and the advanced antenna technology.
It is different and it makes sure that you feel it too. Blending the cutting-edge network technology with the newest research, 5G has the capability to offer connections that are a lot faster than current connections.
But what exactly drove 5G to happen?
An unending need to provide an ever-present connectivity for all applications including bulk-video downloads, automotive communications, a remote control with touch feedback as well as the very low data rate applications like remote sensors and the list goes on and on.
The crux is, 5G technology is a real boon for the mobile cellular communication systems.
Not only this 5G is sure to pump up the Internet of Things technology too by leveraging an infrastructure that can carry massive chunks of data that will pave a path for a smarter and more connected world.
With the ever-evolving systems and testbeds going live across the world, the 5G network is deemed to be present across the world by 2020, working alongside the present 3G and 4G technology to provide a much better speed in network connections that remain intact no matter where ever you are travelling.
A whole lot of companies are looking forward to using this technology and making it a part of their systems. Currently, the 5G technology is still in its infant years, therefore giving rise to the development of 5G research units that are specifically focused upon disrupting the technologies for 5G in a wiser manner.
Does LiFi have to do anything with 5G?
As LiFi is a visible light communication scheme, we tend to be in a fix whether LiFi has to do anything much with 5G. We all know LiFi is a point-to-point communication scheme that is based on LEDs. Talking about LTE, short for Long Term Evolution, is a cellular communications standard that incorporated MIMO (multiple-input/multiple-output) and OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) technologies to introduce massively increased speeds. While 5G is the catch-all term for the next generation of cellular communications technology.
Let’s make it simpler.
Picture this-you wake up and tap your smartphone to switch on your coffee machine. As you are on the verge of making breakfast, your refrigerator sends you a text that you’re out of bread. In-sync with this message, your car’s GPS shows you a route to the grocery shop on your way back from work, as you use your phone to switch on your home air conditioner so that the temperature is chilling when you get back. At the spearhead of this connectivity miracle popularly known as the ‘Internet of Things’, is an optical communication technology that’s taking the world by storm. Light Fidelity or LiFi, is an exciting breakthrough in 5G visual light communication systems and the future of wireless Internet access.
With LiFi, information takes a ride along a spectrum of visible light. Light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, transmit data when they are switched on and off so rapidly in nanoseconds, that the human eye cannot even see it. This data is registered by a special device, that makes it possible to provide wireless internet connectivity at a current experimental speed up to 10 Gbps and its a probability that it might be 250 times faster than the claimed’superfast’ broadband. The swift availability and abundance of LED light bulbs will drive the future omnipresence of connectivity even in places where Wi-Fi fails to work like on an aeroplane and in submarines.
Another big factor that makes LiFi a great hit is the zero electromagnetic interference that allows connectivity even in areas where Wi-Fi isn’t accepted like hospital and nuclear plants so to say. In addition, LiFi offers better data defence as light waves can’t pass through walls, making it impossible to hack any internal systems in high-security buildings.
It is apparent that the radio waves being used by Wi-Fi is getting more congested and there is an undying demand for faster, better and more efficient wireless communication, therefore, LiFi can make its way through it as it is highly reliable, efficient, affordable and a more secure solution. There are already a lot of LiFi products on the market, but the number of companies that are launching LiFi products is growing steadily.
With the growing years and the areas of development in the LiFi technology, its commercialisation will sure boost in an era of incredible business opportunities, such as allowing telecom service providers to reach out to a wider customer base. A LiFi cloud that can provide broader accessibility can also be an option then. Smartphones will soon be able to download traffic information from traffic lights or a program guide from a television. This is just the beginning. In the future, the outlets will be able to send you relevant information and advertisements to your mobile phone as you cross them. Not only this, a change in the schedule of your bus will also be visible in the shops you cross by. Smarter home appliances that talk machine-to-machine (M2M) are already being extensively researched, where LED lights on electronics function as LiFi access points.
It all sounds like something that can really change the way we work and perceive things in the world, right?
In fact, the LiFi industry is set to become a USD75.5 billion industry by 2023.
LiFi is indeed a technology that will play an important role in the 5G era to provide secure data transfer at higher speeds in large population densities at much affordable costs than the radio frequencies. We just have to wait and watch out for it!
