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Something much faster than WiFi is on the horizon

light bulbs
Shutterstock/ Ezume Images

A startup called Velmenni has created a new way to transmit data that's 100 times faster than Wi-Fi.

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Velmenni is using smart LED bulbs to transmit data using visible light instead of radio waves, which is how Wi-Fi functions.

The system uses an internet connection and server to stream content through a light equipped with signal processing technology. The light then streams the data at high speeds, up to 1 gigabit per second, to a light sensor, which eventually converts that data back into a data stream to deliver content.

In a video demonstrating the product, Velmenni equipped a light sensor to a phone to show how Li-Fi would work. He noted that if your hand or another object blocked the light sensor, the data streaming would stop instantly.

Other issues posed by using light instead of radio waves include not being able to use it in sunlight, which will mess with the stream. Li-Fi also can't work through walls, the International Business Times reported.

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But when in action, Li-Fi is far faster than Wi-Fi. Unofficial laboratory tests of Li-Fi have reached a theoretical speed of 224 gigabits per second, which is 100 times faster than Wi-Fi.

In an interview with the International Business Times, Velmenni CEO Deepak Solanki said Li-Fi could reach consumers in three to four years.

Until then, keep your Wi-Fi router handy.

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