While a combination of advances in LED optics, phosphor formulations, and architectures has enabled the steady uptake of solid-state lighting (SSL) with improved light quality, one of the key areas we have been watching is the application of light-emitting technology to scenarios that don’t involve general illumination.
As many readers know, our Mark Halper has kept an eye on Li-Fi technology leveraging visible-light communications devices to transmit data and provide Internet or network connectivity, rather than the radio waves delivered by Wi-Fi.
Proponents say Li-Fi has the potential to increase data speeds, reduce the load on Wi-Fi networks, and implement more secure and consistent communications transmissions in transportation applications such as mass transit systems or passenger airplanes. According to market research firm Mordor Intelligence, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of wireless traffic has been 60% over the past 10 years. And the analysts forecast the Li-Fi market to grow at a CAGR of nearly 70% over the period from 2021–2026.