Visible light communication, or LiFi, has provided a high speed internet connection for residents on Graemsay, an island in Scotland. The LiFi network trial project was developed by The University of Edinburgh and pureLiFi.

The LiFi trial project began in June 2019 with project named 5G RuralFirst. Before the trial, residents of the island often stock in a connection below 2Mbps. The LiFi network completely improved the connectivity by providing connection which is four times faster.

Both outdoor and indoor systems are included in the LiFi trial network. The outdoor system uses infrared lasers to transmit and receive data with Graemsay’s lighthouse seving as a communication hub. The hub connects the system with a outdoor LiFi link. On the other hand, the indoor system is composed by USB dongles to process the light sources of LEDs in the ceiling.

(Image: pureLiFi)

“LiFi is a particularly sustainable solution to provide wireless connectivity and can be managed by residents themselves and combined with existing networks,” said Dez O’Connor, project CTO, 5G RuralFirst and business development manager, global service provider, Cisco. “As well as demonstrating the potential of advanced 5G technology to bridge the digital divide and better connect rural areas, 5G RuralFirst is trialling different technologies such as LiFi to solve the challenges posed by remote environments.”