Christopher Mims at The Wall Street Journal takes a look at Wi-Fi and Li-Fi. “The wireless gods have been hard at work on your home network,” he writes. And their efforts seem to be just about on time. Mims cites Cisco estimates that mobile-device data consumption over Wi-Fi will grow 48% per year.
His first concern is getting rid of dead spots—you can buy routers by the six-pack from companies including Google, Eero, and Plume and distribute them throughout your home. Eventually, every Wi-Fi-enabled device in your home could serve as a network node. Mims cites Plume CEO Fahri Diner as saying the company is working with chip designers on such capabilities.
Mims also takes a look at WiGig, or 802.11ad, which operates at 60 GHz and delivers data at rates to 8 Gb/s—but not through walls. Nevertheless, he writes, “In June, Intel and HTC demonstrated a wireless VR system they argue could be WiGig’s killer app. Anyone who has tried whole-room VR knows it’s annoying to have a cable snaking out the back of your head.” In addition, he said, WiGig could deliver “cones of high-speed connectivity” in airports or convention centers.
In addition, Mims mentions Li-Fi, or optical Wi-Fi, which currently delivers slower data rates than traditional Wi-Fi, but, he writes, the technology can be deployed where security is paramount or Wi-Fi is a nuisance, according to Alistair Banham, CEO of startup PureLiFi.
As noted in a previous article, Fraunhofer HHI has assisted is installing a Li-Fi system. The organization says that the demand for wireless communication networks within buildings will continue to increase, and visible light communications offers an alternative to RF.
Finally, Mims notes that traditional Wi-Fi isn’t standing still, and he mentions 802.11ax. For more, view the webcast “Chasing the Challenges of 802.11ax Test,” presented by Alejandro Buritica, a senior solutions marketer for wireless test at National Instruments, and moderated by me.
