LiFiMAX - The 100 Mbps Li-Fi system transmitting data from the ceiling of your home or office

LiFiMAX - The 100 Mbps Li-Fi system transmitting data from the ceiling of your home or office

LiFiMAX dongle. Photo credit to Press-Citron

Oledcomm announced their 2nd generation Li-Fi system called “LiFiMAX”. at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Oledcomm designs and develops LiFi network interface devices that enable high-speed wireless data communication. It also serves LiFi equipment in the telecom, datacom, personal electronics, and industrial markets. The company’s product portfolio includes hubs, routers, switches, adapters, drivers, power supplies and many more. Oledcomm was founded in 2012 and is currently based in Paris, France.

After the worldwide success of MyLiFi, the first consumer LiFi lamp, the company has developed a solution for professionals with LiFiMAX. The latter will offer a connection ranging from 40 Mbps to 100 Mbps, over a radius of 28 m², and allowing up to 16 people to connect simultaneously.

Benjamin Azoulay, President of Oledcomm stated that " LiFiMAX is the result of more than 10 years of research. The LiFiMAX connection is particularly required in offices: meeting rooms, flexwork spaces, co-working and M2M industrial environments sensitive to radio frequencies. 

The product will be available from September 2019, for less than 874 euros (£786). Companies like Oledcomm hope to have taken a technological advance enough to dominate the sector. Benjamin Azoulay further stated: "We are lucky for the moment to be under the radars: the big players in the sector [terminal manufacturers] have other priorities. Our strategy is to develop products and know-how, so that when they wake up, they take a license from us instead of spending two or three years developing their own solutions, ".  According to Market Research Future’s report, the LiFi market could weigh as much as $51 billion £40 billion) by 2023.

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Li-Fi and Power over Ethernet (PoE)

Li-Fi and Power over Ethernet (PoE)

According to a report from the GSMA (Group Special Mobile Association) Intelligence, the global Internet of Things (IoT) market will be worth $1.1 trillion (£856 million) in revenue by 2025 as market value shifts from connectivity to platforms, applications and services. By that point, there will be more than 25 billion IoT connections (cellular and non-cellular), driven largely by growth in the industrial IoT market.

Li-Fi is a very high-speed wireless technology using light waves instead of radio waves to transmit data. However, one popular question about Li-Fi is how the data gets into the LED light bulb. One answer to that is through Power over Ethernet. Power over Ethernet, also known as PoE, is a technology that allows network cables to carry electrical power alongside data. 

How does PoE work?

Network cables, such as Cat 5e and Cat 6, are made of eight wires and are arranged as four twisted pairs.  In 10 and 100BASE-T Ethernet, two of these pairs are used for sending data, and these are known as the data pairs.  The other two pairs are unused and are referred to as the spare pairs (Gigabit Ethernet uses all four pairs). Because electrical currents flow in a loop, two conductors are needed to deliver power over a cable.  PoE treats each pair as a single conductor, and can use either the two data pairs or the two spare pairs to carry electrical current. Power over Ethernet is injected onto the cable at a voltage between 44 and 57 volts DC, and typically 48 volts is used.  This relatively high voltage allows efficient power transfer along the cable, while still being low enough to be regarded as safe.

Check out the following video for an explanation of PoE by Versa Technology:

 

5 advantages of PoE 

PoE offers the following advantages:

1) Time and cost savings - PoE helps reducing the time and expense of having electrical power cabling installed.  Network cables do not require a qualified electrician to fit them, and can be located anywhere.

2) Flexibility - Without being tethered to an electrical outlet, devices such as IP cameras and wireless access points can be located wherever they are needed most, and re-positioned if required.

3) Safety - POE delivery is intelligent, and designed to protect network equipment from overload, underpowering, or incorrect installation.

4) Reliability - POE power comes from a central and universally compatible source, rather than a collection of distributed wall adaptors.  It can be backed-up by an uninterruptible power supply, or controlled to easily disable or reset devices.

5) Scalability - Having power available on the network means that installation and distribution of network connections is simple and effective.

Devices using PoE technology 

There are currently many devices using PoE technology such as Ethernet extenders, LED Lighting systems, security access controls, smart clocks, wireless access points, PoS kiosks, industrial controls, network switches, digital signage, routers, IP/Pan Zoom cameras and VoIP phones.

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Bright Lock: Security Lock with Li-Fi Technology

Bright Lock: Security Lock with Li-Fi Technology

A french start-up, founded by two computer engineering students from the Compiègne University of Technology, Simon Laurent and Alexandre Ballet, Havr has developed a Li-Fi based opening and closing technology. Li-Fi, also known as "Light Fidelity", is a wireless optical networking technology, which uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) to transmit data.  Based on Li-Fi communication technology, the device uses the flash of your smartphone to trigger the opening or closing of your door.

Havr is at the origin of the first lock connected to use the light signals as means of unlocking. The name of the lock is called the Bright Lock.

The Bright Lock made by HAVR. Photo credit to HAVR

How does the Bright Lock works?

To activate the lock, you will need to have an application downloaded on your smartphone that will trigger a sequence of light specific to your lock to trigger the opening. This flash allows you to authenticate securely. It's very simple, just place your smartphone in front of the lock to open or close the door, it's simple, convenient and secure. Of course it is always possible to open it with a key.  Check out the following video for a quick demo by Havr:

This product is currently being tested by professionals and a limited edition will be available soon. There is still no information about the tariff or the date of availability of this Li-Fi based technology lock system.

OWNII Coin - A cryptocurrency for Li-Fi Implementation

OWNII Coin

“A cryptocurrency for Li-Fi Implementation”

Global Greenology, a privately owned global manufacturing and design company specialising in environmentally friendly, energy efficient building solutions, has developed a cryptocurrency for Li-Fi implementation.

Cryptocurrency is a medium of exchange, which makes use of cryptography to secure transactions and to control the creation of additional currency units through the internet. Cryptocurrency development has been actively growing since 2009, thus offering a broad range of possibilities for transactions between users. The first cryptocurrency created was Bitcoin, and as of September 2015, there were over 14.6 million bitcoins in circulation valued at $3.4 billion (£2.6 Billion). The success of Bitcoin has spawned approximately 1200 competing cryptocurrencies, such as Litecoin, Ethereum and many more.

Blockchain technology powers the cryptocurrency network and is used to store encrypted transactional information online. This digital ledger records all the transactions that have ever been conducted using cryptocurrency, providing the necessary data structure for this ledger and reducing the capability of sensitive information being hacked.

Optical Wireless data transfer, also known as Li-Fi, is the future of wireless communication and was established in 2011 by creator Harald Haas. This new internet streaming method uses visible light waves from the semi-conductive nature of LED light bulbs. Li-Fi is unique in that the same light energy used for illumination can also be captured by specialised equipment and used for communication.

OWNII Coin is developed to oversee, develop, and design the physical infrastructure necessary to implement Li-Fi in the United States and developing nations abroad and is sold privately. The pureLiFi company has manufactures and distributes the equipment needed to stream communication through existing LED bulbs but to implement Li-Fi , installation of this equipment is necessary.

Global Greenology states that the OWNII Coin will promote the creation of a new internet infrastructure in the United States and beyond. It will also create numerous opportunities for employment, business ownership, and entrepreneurial endeavours selling equipment and services. The multiple streams of revenue that OWNII Coin represents brings unprecedented value. Once launched, the infrastructure creates new technology, software, products and services making this coin and ecosystem very valuable.

OWNII coin and the resulting financial capital it generates allows Global Greenology the opportunity to build the OWNII Ecosystem and effectively provide the technology to reach the end user and provide opportunities for manufacturing of the Li-Fi light bulbs and connection devices. It opens a level playing field for the smaller business owner or an entrepreneurial start-up company to get involved on the ground floor of this opportunity.

Photo credit to Imgur

More specifically, OWNII creates wireless communication, that is faster, addresses issues with internet security, allows localisation due to small coverage area of Li-Fi access points used for precise asset tracking. Furthermore, providing ubiquitous high-speed wireless access that offers substantially greater data density (data rate per unit area) than RF through high bandwidth reuse.

Finally, the OWNII Coin system exploits the advantages of cryptocurrencies over fiat currencies as a medium of exchange. In particular, it does not require any single agent or institution be trusted to keep an honest ledger, provide low transactions costs, or offer increased security to customers. The technical elements and infrastructure needed to implement the OWNII Coin system is already established and ready for execution, the only real challenge is the dissemination. Global Greenology’s establishment of the OWNII Coin system has the potential to disrupt our current expensive wireless communication system.

Lucibel is invited by the French Army to participate at the Defense Innovation Agency

Lucibel is invited by the French Army to participate at the Defense Innovation Agency

Lucibel is a french company specialising in the design and manufacturing of new generation lighting products and solutions from LED technology. Lucibel sees that LED revolution goes far beyond lighting and provides access to new markets. For several years, the group has decided to position itself on new uses of LED, namely in well-being (circadian lighting, cosmetics) and light-based communication (LiFi, VLC). Lucibel announces that it has won the contest issued by the French Army in June 2018 for LiFi equipment in the Technical Section of the Army, to test its technology of access to the internet by light.

Following this success, twenty LiFi luminaires were delivered to evaluate the relevance of this solution during an operational readiness exercise.

Lieutenant-Colonel Julien said: “LiFi has great potential for improving the agility and stealth of our command posts. Indeed, this wireless technology can significantly reduce deployment times while ensuring a very strong electromagnetic discretion."

In addition, the Army wanted Lucibel to participate in the Innovation Defense Forum, which is being held on November 22, 23 and 24 at the Cité de la Mode and Design in Paris. The 1 st edition of this forum will present innovative projects led by the French Department of the Army, in the fields of scientific and technological innovation, operational innovation, and innovation in all areas of the necessary support to the armed forces .

It is at the heart of the Forum that the Defense Innovation Agency will present the "LiFi by Lucibel" solution and will offer a demonstration of this technology, in the presence of Lucibel group employees.

Frédéric Granotier, Chief Executive Officer of Lucibel, statess: "The interest of the French Army in LiFi technology offered by Lucibel solution is excellent news. This confirmation of interest opens promising prospects for Lucibel, while Lucibel has just launched its 2nd generation LiFi luminaires, with improved performance and a retail price divided by more than 2 ".

Li-Fi has a very bright future in the many years to come.

Signify releases their Li-Fi system

Signify releases their Li-Fi system

Signify is the new brand name of Philips Lighting. The name change occurred in March 2018 to represent the transformation from an analogue lighting company into a digital lighting and Internet of Things (IoT) company. Signify is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. The company provides lighting solutions for professional segments such as automotive, healthcare, horticulture, office, outdoor, phototherapy, petrol stations, solar, purification, schools, fashion, cinema, and more. These lighting solutions include indoor and outdoor luminaries, lamps, electronics, lighting controls, lighting control software, IoT systems and platforms.

Signify recently released their Li-Fi system. The Li-Fi kit comes with a Li-Fi modem, Signify Philips PowerBalance gen2 luminaires, Ethernet cables and a Li-Fi dongle. You can watch the video blow from TechARP unboxing the Li-Fi kit system from Signify.

With a bandwidth of 30 Mbps, Signify Li-Fi system allows a stable broadband connection for its users. It allows 15 simultaneous users to benefit from a secure connection, under the cone of light. Signify claims their Li-Fi system delivers sufficient speed to make a video call and download and play two HD movies simultaneously.

Signify Li-Fi dongle. Photo from TechARP

Screenshot from Signify video

Screenshot from Signify video

Screenshot from Signify video

Screenshot from Signify video

Screenshot from Signify video

Mr Ed Huibers, the head of Business Development Li-Fi at Signify, stated that their Li-Fi system offers fast internet connectivity with no compromise in lighting quality as well. Li-Fi is suited for areas where Wi-Fi connectivity is poor or unavailable. Signify Li-Fi system can be implemented in schools, banks, clinics, hospitals, factories, planes and underground. Li-Fi has a very bright future in the many decades and centuries to come.

Presentation of Li-Fi Technology to President Xi Jinping

Presentation of Li-Fi Technology to President Xi Jinping

China is currently holding its inaugural International Import Expo (CIIE) this week in Shanghai, bringing together a host of participants from around the world from 5-10 November to discuss the current and future landscape of trade and investment. 

The six-day event, the event focuses mainly on imports and brings together thousands of governmental representatives, business leaders, and top officials from international organisations, and also featured speeches from the heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Group (WBG), and World Trade Organisation (WTO). 

Dame Barbara Woodward, British Ambassador to China, presented the Li-Fi light bulb to China president Xi Jinping. The Li-Fi light bulb was created by pureLiFi, a pioneering Li-Fi company engaged in the research and development of Li-Fi and visible light communication technologies.

From left to right: Dame Barbara Woodward; President Xi Jinping; Dr Liam Fox MP, UK International Trade Secretary; HRH The Duke of York. Credit to pureLiFi

Alistair Banham, CEO of pureLiFi stated:

“LiFi is a connectivity platform that will revolutionise wireless communications for 5G and beyond. China has the highest number of internet users in the world, and LiFi could make a significant impact on China’s wireless infrastructure, providing high-speed, efficient data transfer with unprecedented bandwidth”.

The China Li-Fi market is predicted to be around worth £10.7 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow for the next five years. This new disruptive innovation is also expected to grab a high portion of Wi-Fi market especially in commercial use segment. China is going to be the largest Li-Fi in the world.

Upcoming LuxLive 2018 Conference

Upcoming LuxLive 2018 Conference

LuxLive 2018 event, Europe biggest annual conference, will be held in Excel London on Wednesday 14Th November and Thursday 15th November.  It is also a platform to access the latest innovations, lighting trends and educational and informational seminars to stay up-to-date with the industry today.

LuxLive 2018 is expected to the largest and busiest event of its series.  This event gives the opportunity to network and share best practices with peers from a variety of industries such as education, energy / utilities, building / facilities management, healthcare, government, leisure, hospitality, industrial, retail, real estate, smart buildings and transport.

You can register at the following link: https://luxlive.co.uk/