du, the UAE-based telecommunications provider, and UAE-born brand Zero1, recently successfully demonstrated the capability of state-of-the-art Light Fidelity (LiFi) technology in Dubai, which stands as the latest technology in data communication.
LiFi is a wireless optical networking technology that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for data transmission instead of radio waves, reportedly giving it the data transmitting potential of up to 224GB LiFi is 100 times faster than WiFi technology as well as being significantly cheaper.
In addition, LiFi complements WiFi technology, by minimizing the risk of loss of data in a high density area in a confined region. In doing so, it will be adding significant value to du’s wireless broadband portfolio capabilities in both indoor and outdoor data transmissions. The integration of LiFi enables du to provide solutions for its business customer across municipal, commercial and industrial environments. du has demonstrated three use cases over LiFi technology including internet over LiFi, video and audio streaming over LiFi.
Saleem Al Blooshi, Executive Vice President of Network Development and Operations at du, said: "With the Global LiFi market expected to reach $80 billion by 2021, we expect to see demand for this technology increasing exponentially over the coming years. We wanted to ensure our customers were aware of this technology and the demonstration of LiFi technology complements our broadband portfolio for the business segment. We are currently working with major businesses to create tailor-made LiFi solutions and to test and validate the applications so that we can ensure we offer the latest in innovation to our valued customers."
The new innovative LiFi technology is particularly suitable for environments where safety and data security are paramount such as hospitals, company headquarters, transport, and security agencies. LiFi uses Visible Light Spectrum (VLS) which has a huge data capacity (about 390 Tera Hertz (THz) of bandwidth available), and is unimpeded by radio interference and generates no electromagnetic smog. This makes it a superior option for intrinsically hazardous environments such as refineries, oil platforms or petrol stations.
Al Balooshi added: "The recent demonstration of LiFi adds further impetus to the initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in establishing the UAE as a global leader in all aspects and as an innovator in technology in the Middle East region."
du and Zero1 are developing a number of LiFi-enabled solutions which provide a variety of analytics, communication and management systems, and customer engagement solutions. The outdoor deployment of LiFi enables motion detection, geo-localization and camera networks through street lights while the indoor deployment supports retail, healthcare, education, and cultural centers.
Discussing the demonstration, Marc Fleschen, CEO, Zero1, said: "We are thrilled to work with du on LiFi technology to create a powerful platform which will provide tangible and long-lasting solutions for du’s business partners. We are honored to be part of the LiFi integration for different applications, which will place the UAE at the forefront of LiFi enabled environments."