Orkney 5G Trial Tests Li-Fi Wireless Broadband via Solar Panels

Now this really is unique. One of the Government funded 5G RuralFirst testbeds on Orkney (Scotland) appears to be delivering “high-speed” wireless broadband to a number of remote rural properties by using solar panels as receivers for a new Light Fidelity (LiFi) network (i.e. Li-Fi solar backhaul). LiFi is a Visible Light Communication (VLC) based networking technology, which essentially delivers data by turning Light-Emitting Diode (LED) based light bulbs on and off at an incredible speed, which is too fast for you to notice with your own eyes (some LED bulbs already work like this in order to save energy). At present LiFi is in the process of being turned into a ultrafast consumer home network product (here) and a related standard – 802.11bb – is already set for release in 2021. So far this sort of technology has largely only been used indoors but the new testbed on Orkney appears to be adopting an innovative twist.