Feasibility study and site survey
Assessment of use-case fit, room geometry, mounting positions, ambient light levels, likely blockage and device support, with a comparison against a radio or cabled alternative.
Service
Li-Fi system design and development
We design optical wireless links and networks for indoor spaces where radio is restricted, congested or unwanted, and we are direct about where Li-Fi does not fit.
The problem
Some spaces cannot rely on radio
Certain clinical rooms restrict radio emissions. Industrial zones with explosive atmospheres control every transmitter. Defence and R&D facilities need signals that stay inside the room. Factory cells full of motor drives and welders are noisy for radio, and crowded venues exhaust the available Wi-Fi spectrum. Cabling is not always an option, particularly for equipment that moves.
Li-Fi carries data on light, visible or infrared, modulated far faster than the eye can detect. Opaque walls confine it, and it does not interfere with radio systems. It also has firm limits. It needs line of sight or a strong reflected path. One access point covers a cone a few metres across. A hand or an object can block the beam, and direct sunlight raises receiver noise.
Projects go wrong when Li-Fi is treated as a drop-in replacement for Wi-Fi. We begin with a feasibility study that checks the use case against these limits, then design the optical layer and the network together.
What we deliver
Li-Fi Systems sub-services
Each item can be contracted separately or combined into one programme of work.
Optical link and coverage design
Link budgets covering transmitter power, beam angle, path loss, receiver field of view and target error rate; cell layout with overlap for handover; and eye-safety checks to IEC 62471 and IEC 60825-1.
Transceiver prototyping
LED and VCSEL drivers, photodiode and avalanche-photodiode front ends, transimpedance amplifiers, and FPGA or software-defined baseband using OOK, PPM or DC-biased optical OFDM.
Network integration
Ethernet and PoE backhaul, VLANs, 802.1X authentication, handover between optical cells and hybrid Li-Fi and Wi-Fi operation with policy-based steering.
Special-purpose optical links
Short-range free-space links between machines, links to mobile equipment at docking points, and visible-light positioning for indoor location.
Security and performance testing
Measurement of light leakage through windows and door gaps, verification of link encryption and authentication, and throughput, latency and handover tests under real ambient light.
Technologies and methods
Tools we use and how we use them
Li-Fi spans optics, analogue electronics, signal processing and networking, and a working system needs all four to be designed together.
Standards
IEEE 802.11bb for light communication within the Wi-Fi family, ITU-T G.9991 for high-speed indoor visible light communication, and IEEE 802.15.7 and 802.15.13 for optical wireless personal and industrial networks.
Channel modelling
Lambertian line-of-sight and diffuse reflection models, ray tracing for room geometry and simulation of ambient light noise, written in Python or MATLAB.
Hardware
High-bandwidth LEDs, VCSEL arrays, PIN and avalanche photodiodes, optical filters and concentrators, low-noise analogue front ends and FPGA baseband boards.
Prototyping tools
GNU Radio and software-defined radio hardware repurposed for optical front ends, FPGA toolchains, and laboratory instruments: optical power meter, oscilloscope, spectrum analyser and bit-error-rate tester.
Network and security
WPA3 and 802.1X on the optical link, segmentation at the switch, and monitoring of optical access points alongside existing network equipment.
Industry use cases
Typical applications by industry
These are representative applications of this service. They describe the kind of work we take on, not past clients.
Healthcare
Connectivity for staff devices and equipment in clinical areas where radio emissions are restricted.
Manufacturing
Data links in cells with heavy electromagnetic interference, and links to mobile equipment at fixed stations. In hazardous zones, all equipment must carry the certification required for that zone.
Government, defence and R&D
Meeting rooms and laboratories where network signals must not extend beyond the walls.
Telecom and venues
Offloading dense indoor areas from congested Wi-Fi in a hybrid network.
Universities and research labs
Optical wireless testbeds, including greenhouse sensor links that share LED lighting, which is an active research topic.
Engagement models
Four ways to work with us
Start at the level that matches your certainty about the problem.
Consulting
A feasibility study, a review of a vendor proposal, or a coverage design for a defined space.
Proof of concept
One or two rooms equipped and measured: throughput, latency, blockage behaviour and light leakage, against written criteria.
Full build
A custom transceiver or a complete installation design, integrated with your network and documented for your facilities team.
Ongoing support
Performance checks after layout changes, firmware updates and expansion to new areas.
Delivery process
How a Li-Fi Systems project runs
Qualify the use case
Confirm that the reason for choosing light is sound: radio restriction, signal confinement, interference or spectrum relief.
Survey and model
Measure the space and ambient light, then model coverage and link margin.
Prototype and measure
Install a pilot cell or build a bench prototype, and measure it under working conditions.
Install and integrate
Deploy access points, connect backhaul, configure authentication and fallback to Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
Verify and support
Run acceptance tests, train staff and revisit the design when the room or its use changes.
FAQ
Li-Fi Systems questions
Do the lights have to be visibly on for Li-Fi to work?
Not necessarily. Many systems use near-infrared light for the uplink, and some for both directions; IEEE 802.11bb itself is specified for the near-infrared band. Such systems work with the room lights off. Systems that use visible light for the downlink can be dimmed to a low level, but the luminaire cannot be switched off completely.
Does Li-Fi work without line of sight?
It works best with a direct path. In small rooms with light-coloured walls, reflections can sustain a link at a reduced rate. A body or an object can block the beam, so designs use overlapping cells and a fallback to Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
How fast is Li-Fi?
It depends on the product and the conditions. Commercial systems range from tens of megabits per second to around a gigabit per second per access point in good conditions, and laboratory experiments have reported much higher rates. In a proof of concept we measure the throughput you actually get in your own room.
Is Li-Fi more secure than Wi-Fi?
It reduces one exposure: light does not pass through opaque walls, so intercepting the signal from outside the room is much harder. It can still leak through windows and gaps, and anyone inside the room can receive it. Encryption and authentication remain necessary, and we test for leakage.
What do user devices need?
At present most laptops and phones need a USB Li-Fi adapter, and very few have a built-in optical transceiver. The plan has to include adapters, their drivers and their management.
Will Li-Fi replace our Wi-Fi?
Usually not. It complements Wi-Fi in specific rooms or for specific equipment. A hybrid network lets devices use the optical link where it is available and radio elsewhere.
Related services
Work that often goes with Li-Fi Systems
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Threat modelling, security testing, secure architecture and detection engineering for IT, cloud, IoT and industrial control networks.
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Feasibility studies, hybrid quantum-classical prototypes and post-quantum cryptography migration, with honest limits on what current hardware can do.
Explore Quantum ComputingFurther reading: Li-Fi vs Wi-Fi for secure indoor networks
Considering Li-Fi for a room, a line or a product?
Describe the space and the reason radio does not suit it. We will tell you whether light is a realistic option.