Can I use a light bulb to transmit Internet signals?

Professor Harald Hass at Edinburgh University in the UK says he has developed a technology that can transmit data through a normal light bulb. Accordingly, just turn on the light bulb in the room, you have Internet access. Other potential uses of the device called 'Li-fi' include transmitting radio data from the 'white space' in the spectrum of the television or unused satellite signals.

At present, we use radio waves to transmit data, but according to Professor Hass, this method is ineffective. "We transmit radio data with ineffective electromagnetic waves, especially radio waves, which are limited, feeble, expensive and work only in a certain range ," he said. For mobile phones, up to 1.4 million base stations increase signal strength, but data transmission capacity is low as most of its power is used for cooling. Professor Hass says wireless data transfer through the light bulb is more efficient because the world currently has about 40 billion bulbs in use. By replacing old-style bulbs with LEDs, he can turn entire bulbs into wireless Internet access points.

The D-light , which can transfer data faster than 10 megabits per second (equivalent to broadband Internet connection speed) by changing the frequency of light in the room. This technology can be used in hospitals, aircraft, military and even underwater. Passengers on board can theoretically surf the web from the signals emitted by the light bulb in the cabin. "What we need to do is attach an IC to each light bulb and it will combine illumination with data transmission, helping us solve problems encountered in wireless communication ," concluded Professor Hass. .