At Orange, the connectivity of the future will use light
4 October 2021 - 2pm
Orange believes strongly in the potential of LiFi technology. Enabling fast and stable wireless connection based on visible or infrared light, LiFi is poised to transform the connectivity of tomorrow.
Since the early days of radio transmission, electromagnetic waves have been used to transmit information, now in the form of 0 or 1.
Many technologies such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRa, WiFi or mobile networks such as 5G, are the main means of communication today.
But in the space of a few decades, with the exponential growth of connected objects and smartphones, almost all the radio frequencies making up the "electromagnetic space" are becoming saturated, with consequences we do not always suspect.
Micheline Perrufel, Research Engineer and Innovation Project Manager - Orange Labs*
“Over the years, the military and civil aviation, who were the first users of radio waves, have gradually died out of the frequencies and favored the development of new technologies. However, it is no longer possible to expand the frequency spectrum without compromising the security of countries.
The International Communications Union (ITU), which manages the frequencies around the globe, has therefore asked manufacturers and telecommunications operators to explore new wireless communication solutions to transmit information without using radio frequencies.”
*Orange Labs is the research and development division of the Orange Group
An luminous Morse code
Researchers and teams at Orange Labs turned their attention to light. The transmission of data by this means had already been successfully tested in 1880 by the inventor of the telephone himself, Graham Bell. But it was not until the mid-2000s, with the emergence of LED lamps, that new technological advances in this field were possible.
Micheline Perrufel, Research Engineer and Innovation Project Manager - Orange Labs
"The principle of LiFi can be compared to an optical Morse code, continues Micheline Perrufel. By modulating the light flow imperceptibly to the naked eye, it is possible to transmit information in the form of 0s and 1s. After a few years of trials and tribulations, the technology is now mature and LED equipment can be found - a street lamp or a ceiling light will do - for 500 or €600. Some devices are already compatible, but if not, a simple USB key can now enjoy LiFi with any computer."
If LiFi has the big advantage of relieving radio frequencies close to saturation, it also offers other benefits to its users. First of all, LiFi offers an almost individual high speed between 100 and 250 Mbits/s depending on the commercial solution chosen; the LiFi signal will not be shared as with mobile networks or WiFi, so the speeds are guaranteed.
LiFi also allows for greater connection security, as the connection is limited to the light spectrum.
Micheline Perrufel, Research Engineer and Innovation Project Manager - Orange Labs
"In addition, the signal emitted by LiFi is very stable and does not cause any electromagnetic interference. This is particularly interesting in the civil aviation sector, and hospitals. The army is also starting to equip itself with this technology because it offers additional security guarantees. Universities are also showing interest. In general, we believe that Wi-Fi and LiFi will be complementary in the very near future."
A new store already relies on LiFi
The ambition of the Orange group is to soon offer this technology to its customers, both private and professional, especially in Luxembourg. To allow everyone to test the LiFi, the Orange Luxembourg teams have decided to equip their new Kirchberg store with this new technology.
Mustapha Rahem, Consumer Market and Online Sales Manager - Orange Luxembourg
"A year ago, we had to set up a few new stores. We wanted to offer something different and that's when the Orange group told us about LiFi. We quickly decided to equip our store in the Kirchberg shopping center with this technology."
In the meantime, the pandemic has delayed the project. But since September 1st, LiFi is well and truly installed in the Orange store in Kirchberg.
For Orange Luxembourg, this project allows it to remain at the forefront of innovation and to meet a growing demand from its customers.
Mustapha Rahem, Consumer Market and Online Sales Manager - Orange Luxembourg
"Whenever we talk about new connectivity, our customers mention LiFi. The public is now very well informed about new technologies, so we have to be ahead of the curve. However, before we can offer LiFi in the home, we still need to find the right partners and the right use cases."
As a member of the "Light Communication Alliance", the Orange group has in any case taken a good lead in the development of this innovative technology. In the next few years, you should have more and more opportunities to connect to the Internet using LiFi...