The biggest pros and cons of 4G networks

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Technology changes rapidly nowadays. And mobile technology changes even faster. Mobile networks have been a trend topic since they appeared on the market. Now they are working with 4G networks that bring a totally new game to the market. What are their pros? What are their cons? You are going to find out in this next text where we, alongside Don Burns, analyse the 4G networks and some of its advantages and disadvantages.

Let us first define what 4G networks are so we can then move on to analyse its pros and cons for the market. 4G networks is a collection of fourth generation cellular data technologies which succeed the 3G network and is also called "IMT-Advanced," or "International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced." The 4G network concept was first developed in 2005 in South Korea under the name of WiMAX. It was then spread to several European countries over the next few years. In the United States it appeared in 2009 when Sprint went out of the nutshell to offer a 4G cellular network.

Since 4G networks is a series of networks, as its name says it, all 4G standards must conform to a set of specifications created by the International Telecommunications Union. Download and speed may vary but in the end, 4G networks need to have certain unified terms and conditions in order for it to work around the world. For example, all 4G technologies are required to provide peak data transfer rates of at least 100 Mbps. Also, there is no single 4G standard. The way it works is that different cellular providers use different technologies that conform to the 4G requirements. For example, WiMAX is a popular 4G technology used in Asia and Eastern Europe, while LTE (Long Term Evolution) is more popular in Scandinavia and the United states.

Now that we understand this, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of 4G networks:

PROS:

One of the main advantage of 4G over 3G networks is it amazing speed. It has an increased bandwidth that leads to much faster data transfer speed. These networks allow users to have non-stop connectivity and very fast data transfer for videos, chats and conferences, stream music, videos and movies. Also, all this information is easier to share online with the 4G networks.

The coverage that 4G networks offers is similar to those offered by WIFI connections where there has to be hubs or spots where the signal is retransmitted and where the signal can be captured and used. Well, 4G networks work the same and offer 30 miles coverage and sometimes more.

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In this connected world, privacy and security are becoming more important as time passes. In WIFI networks the biggest problems are always related to privacy and security, especially in mobile devices. On the other hand, 4G networks offer complete privacy, security and safety. This is beneficial for people that are looking to keep some information private or for business and corporations that handle delicate information and want to retain corporate secrets.

It is an advantage, but honestly, the price is not a key factor in 4G networks. They are affordable, although more expensive than WIFI, but they offer more benefits for the money people pay.

The amounts of plans that can be created with this type of network are very large. Companies take advantage of this as they can offer customers several options on the network, devices and equipment. Many mobile companies offer special introductory offers for new customers that will make them come back to the company and thus to the network.

CONS:

One of the most visible disadvantages of 4G networks are their connectivity limitations as it depends on the region and specific carriers. A lot of big cities around the world have these networks, but it will take some time to get full coverage for the main cities and capitals in the world.

The devices for this technology are cheap and available in the market. This means that equipment needs to be installed and that companies have to include these expenses in their budgets. This is not a con, but only a small setback.

Battery issues are now a big problem in mobile devices. Since 4G mobile networks use multiple antennae and transmitters, the phones will need to use more battery capacity. This would mean larger mobile devices with more battery power so people can stay online for longer periods of time.

4G networks are the rule nowadays, and they are very useful. Some of their disadvantages are now being addressed and overcome. The biggest problem still remains when 4G users have to switch to 3G or WiFi in the areas that do not yet have 4G mobile network coverage. Anyway, 4G still is an amazing system of networks, although they have had minor setbacks since it went live.

Also take a look at this amazing article on Apps and communication advances

What Is The Present And Future Of Virtual Reality?

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Many experts project 2016 as the year for Virtual Reality. This technology is far from new, yet the most promising advances in the field of virtual reality have been reached and made public in the last few months.

What is Virtual Reality? According to Wikipedia, Virtual Reality is a computer technology that replicates an environment, real or imagined, and simulates a user's physical presence and environment to allow for user interaction. Virtual realities artificially create sensory experience, which can include sight, touch, hearing, and smell.

The way Virtual Reality will be used in the years to come is still a matter of speculation amongst most people. What is true is the fact that current technology has placed the tools necessary for anyone to implement their ideas using Virtual Reality; like in the case of Google’s Cardboard, a downloadable set of instructions to turn any smartphone into a VR headset.

When most people think of Virtual Reality, they think about games and entertainment. It is true that most applications that are known to the public have been made in this area, mostly because we are used to a very rudimentary form of Virtual Reality called 3D movies. 3D movies have been popular for decades due to the immersion they provide to the audience and the enhance experience they create to the senses. Oculus Cinema is an app that already goes a step beyond the magic of 3D allowing users to watch their content as if they were using a virtual screen in a simulated environment, or in some cases, as if they were inside the movie itself. Movie theatres are not the only simulated environments that Virtual Reality is seeking to emulate when it comes to entertainment; a company called LiveLike VR has built a Virtual Reality stadium where you can enjoy matches as if you were sitting on the stands next to your friends, everything from the comfort of your own couch. Concerts and performances are the next step in simulations that can have you watching your favorite bands in a virtually generated environment just by wearing a headset.

The healthcare industry is another area that can be greatly benefited by implementing Virtual Reality tools. These advances go way beyond surgical procedures performed at a distance by a doctor using a headset remotely connected to robotic instruments. Victims of stroke and brain injuries can also reap the benefits of virtual environments that have proven to help gain cognitive functions a lot faster than conventional therapies. Computer generated images can also give doctors an immersive look into the body of patients with the use of VR CAT scans and ultrasound. These imaging techniques can help doctors and surgeons make better decisions when contemplating surgeries and other complicated procedures on patients. Another interesting advancement in the area of healthcare is the use of virtually simulated environments to offer users an alternative for pain relief, stress management and resilience.

The manufacturing industry also sees great promise in the field of Virtual Reality. Virtual prototypes are not new to many industries that deal with engineering in many levels. The creation of VR prototypes can same resources and correct errors before actual products are physically created and assembled, giving manufacturers not only a great financial advantage, but also ensuring the safety of their products and processes.

Education is also being greatly affected in a positive way by the implementation of Virtual Reality solutions. Sites like Universim already offer a huge amount of Virtual Reality educational content available to users of Oculus and Samsung headsets in areas like anatomy, space exploration, history and even business. The immersive experiences provided by virtual-reality headsets can revolutionize education in all fields. Imagine field trips, lab sessions, history lessons, biology and even physical education being enhanced with the use of these amazing tools that are already easily available to everyone.

Image courtesy of Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas 

at Flickr.com

Shopping online is something that has become second nature to all of us. What once was a strange and foreign concept is today as common as going to the store in the traditional way, and even preferred by some. Virtual Reality can change the way customers interact with products and even with the retailers themselves. Instead of using catalogs and web pages, people can actually get a real-time shopping experience accompanied by their loved ones, with the convenience of staying right at home.

The inclusion of Virtual Reality into our daily lives in evident and is growing more and more each day. Places like courtrooms, hospitals and even the way news are delivered will shortly be enhanced by its many advantages, striving to bring us a better quality of life and a different perspective in the way we see and interact with the world around us and bringing us closer to our fellow human beings.

For more information about the way telecommunication technologies continue to change our world, visit Don Burns blog and check out our many articles on the subject.

6 encryption tools that will secure your data

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Encryption is defined as the conversion of electronic data, Plaintext, into ciphertext, encrypted text. This type of text can be hard to understand by a person that is not authorized to do so. Encryption main purpose is to help in the protection of your confidential electronic data which can be found in your laptop, personal computer, or the digital information sent through Internet and other networks. Even though the use of encryption is not new for humans, the advancements about it are greater every day. These advancements are generated by the increment of security problems on the transferring of digital data. That’s why companies related to these issues have worked for many years to develop strategies against safety gaps. In this list, you will find encryption tools that were created to help you in the difficult task of protecting your valuable digital data from the online threats out there.

BitLocker

This full disk encryption software has been developed by Microsoft and it has been set up in almost every Windows operating system. BitLocker works with AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) which is a military grade encryption that most of the security companies use. The easiness of this encryption tool is that you can use it effortlessly, and you can already find it in your Windows operating system. When you encrypt your hard disk with BitLocker, it will block any data breaches or exfiltration from it. If someone steals your laptop, it would be impossible for them to access your files.

7Zip

If you dislike the idea of encrypting the whole hard disk, 7Zip is the right tool for you. 7Zip is a simple but powerful encryption tool (AES - 256) that can support you with ciphering only the data you need to. It works with a 7z archive format, but other archive formats can be also read and written. This encryption tool has a great compression format, and it can extract nearly all file formats. 7Zip is suitable for almost all Windows versions, and you can find it in about 87 languages.

AxCrypt

This encryption software has been around for 15 years, making one of the most popular tools to encrypt data around the world. You can use this software to protect important data from your computer system. AxCrypt encrypts a file during a definite extent of time, and it will be decrypted automatically after it arrives safely to its destination. This tool is simple and fast which makes easier to encipher a complete folder or a group of files. In addition, AxCrypt provides safety against cyber criminal attacks and their extensive cracking methods. It can be installed on different Windows operating systems.

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VeraCrypt

Tools from VeraCrypt strengthen the security of the system algorithms and its encrypted partitions so it becomes immune to advanced cyber attacks. You can download it freely for Windows, Linux and MacOSX operating systems. If you have files with the obsolete TrueCrypt too, the version 1.0f of VeraCrypt can import TrueCrypt files and it can convert containers and system partitions from a TrueCrypt format to a VeraCrypt one. This encryption tool is been continually improved and its updates increases its security. 

Tor Browser

This tool has been created to allow anonymity and protection while accessing the network. Its software bounces your communications over a worldwide distributed network of relays that are carried out by volunteers. The Tor Browser can be operated by anyone who wishes online privacy and wants to keep prying eyes out of the picture during browsing activity. With this tool, you can also avoid sharing your location to the web sites you visit, and makes almost impossible to trace back to you your instant messages and other communicative activities. The Tor Browser can be used on Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux, and it can be run off from a USB flash drive, so it is not necessary to install any software.

Virtual Private Network – VPN

Virtual Private Network (VPN) makes use of encryption to offer secure access to a remote computer across the internet. VPN is a private network that establishes an encrypted channel capable of protecting your communication from interference attacks. This is another alternative to be online in complete privacy, especially if you need to work remotely and operate private company networks. For instance, VPN is very useful when you want to transfer confidential data or you need to run highly important operations online. Besides, Don Burns recommends using VPN if you connect from unsafe public networks, so you can encrypt your private information and protect your web traffic.

Read more about encrypt and secure communications in this older post “How to encrypt communications”

Millennials and telecommunications: a love meant to last

The term Millennial is used to describe the generation of people who turned to adulthood in the 21st century. The term was first coined by Neil Howe and William Strauss, authors of the 1991 book Generations: The History of America's Future. Millennials grew up in a world filled with technology and socially-networked. They are the generation that has received the most marketing attention in human history. They tend to be tolerant to difference since they are the most ethnically diverse generation. They were raised by the “follow your dreams” ideal, for this they tend to be confident and a little more optimistic about the future of America than other generations.

In terms of Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT), Don Burns knows Millennials are likely to be the first pro-PC users. Even when they compose the smartphone generation, they are still the age group who is more prone to use computers, especially a laptop, to communicate. Statistics show that 85% of Millennials living in developed countries have access to a portable personal computer (laptop). Compared to the access they have to smartphones, this statistic is simply a little bit lower.

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Millennials tend to have all the smart devices since they see each one of them as a complement and not a substitute for each function. Therefore, they have smartphones, laptops, and PCs, and they use them as tools to communicate and work. This general picture is possible because technology prices are lower today compared to what they used to be a decade ago, also because they were raised in a fast-paced world characterized by affordable high-tech devices.

Most people who belong to this generation usually prefer to type on their computers or hold a smartphone on their hands to share a couple words with their loved ones. Surprisingly, they are more prone to use a laptop than a phablet or tablet, simply because the keyboards and trackpads on laptops are easier to manipulate.

How do Millennials communicate?

Millennials move fast with all the new telecommunication trends and advances. As the smartphone generation, they prefer to use apps to do and find out about everything, especially if those apps are graphically appealing. A recent study in the US shows that young adults spend at least 30% of their daily time using their mobile phones to both communicate and chill. Apps such as Instagram have become the Millennials Holy Grail in terms of sharing graphic content.

In terms of using a computer, Millennials in the US spend at least 25% less time than adults from older generations do using the Internet or watching video on a PC, in addition to email, games, and work/study applications. This means they want to make the most of their time when it comes to using technology, accomplishing multiple tasks per day. They want communications to be effective and in real-time.

The usage of mobile phones compared to laptops is considerably higher for Millennials. In general, this generation spends 20 hours more per month on their mobiles than they do on their laptops.

What about the old-fashioned telecom means?

If we think about TV usage, Millennials don’t spend more than 3 hours in front of the TV, and usually, they don’t use it to watch their favorite show. Most times they plug their game consoles and use internet connection to download games, watch movies, read the news, watch Youtube videos or even send emails. In this sense, the way Millennials interact with their TV has also changed since most TVs nowadays are also smart and allow people to share mass media content with them.

Furthermore, old generations tend to spend 33% more time reading a printed newspaper or magazine, or listening to the radio than Millennials do. This new generation reads digital contents and listens to online broadcasts on their mobile phones. This trend has taken over newspapers, magazines and radio, showing that the way information is produced hasn’t changed, but what has indeed changed is the way this new generation consumes it.

Why is the love between Millennials and Telecom meant to last?

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Even though there was a shift in the way this young generation uses and oversees telecommunications, the need of using them is still very powerful. This can be seen in the importance Millennials give to being connected to the outer world. They always want to be the first ones to post it, they don’t want to work inside an office but at a coffee shop from where they can email their workplace, they simply want to move fast with technology and use it in the best way they can to communicate their ideas and emotions.

Telecommunications are advancing according to its consumer’s needs. If companies kept all this information in mind, they would know that best way for them to grant their permanence in the market is by creating strategies meant to reach this new type of consumer that has always its smartphone, tablet or laptop in hand and in front of its eyes.

10 Most Popular Uses For The Internet Of Things

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Wikipedia defines the internet of things (IoT) as “the network of physical devices, vehicles, buildings and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity that enables these objects to collect and exchange data.” But what does that really mean? How does it affect me? 

Think about it this way; anything that can be connected will be connected in the near future. It means devices that have an on and off switch will be able to communicate with each other and be controlled and monitored from anywhere in the world as long as they are part of the network. This type of advances will greatly change the way we live and interact with other in social, financial and personal aspects.

Here we have, some of the most popular uses we are seeing today, for the Internet of Things.

1. At home

Smart homes are some of the most common examples of innovative technology using the IoT today. Houses that are connected, allow users to control everything from how the access the home, temperature, lighting, entertainment and home appliances. Systems can be as simple or as complex as users want, and there are a lot of big companies out there making sure they can offer users the latest gadgets to fit their smart home set up.

2. Wearable technologies

Smartwatches and fitness trackers are just a couple example of this category. There are also wearables for pets that allow owners to track their activity, sleep cycles an overall health with the help of monitors the animal can wear easily. Clothing off course is another obvious choice for developers of wearable devices made for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. These garments can measure muscle activity, vital signs and GPS location among other things.

3. City Management

Smart cities in the future will use technologies like the Smart Belly, a device that communicates with municipal services to let them know that a certain trash can needs to be emptied. There are also apps that can communicate to drivers the number of parking spots available in different city blocks with the use of infrared sensors located next to the curb or in parking garages connected to the system. Other uses that are already available include lighting regulators to use energy more efficiently as well as monitoring stations for pollution and noise levels.

4. Security

Close circuit security systems that can be accesses from your mobile phone as well as better alarm systems installed at homes that can be connected to emergency services. Another aspect of security that is of great importance is the need for better encryption in communication protocols due to being in an environment of enhanced connectivity.

5. Analytics

Understanding customer needs and processing feedback and suggestions will always be of great relevance in the future of telecommunications. The IoT allows delivering services, improving products, identifying and intercepting business moments.

6. Health

Health in general is another area greatly benefited. This can go from preventive medicine as it is in the case of sensors that track your health, all the way to emergency services and devices. It is worth also mentioning monitors for babies and for elderly members of the family that can help you be vigilant of their health as well as of possible hazards.

7. Retail Applications

Retail solutions can help to make the customer experience a lot better, as well as aiding with restock, reorder, tracking and product information. There are apps that also help human resources monitor staff activities and creates an internal network of instant communication between different areas of the business.

8. Farming

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These applications can be used to track the health of livestock as well as help farmers monitor crucial vitals like humidity, air temperature and soil quality using remote sensors on their crops. Individual monitoring of plants and animals can help the industry be more productive and to minimize losses due to disease and detrimental conditions suffered due to different conditions.

9. Maintenance and repair

Moving components, vehicles and machinery in general need constant monitoring and inspection of parts and maintenance. Most of this is done manually and takes a lot of manpower. Making these processes automatic ensures that resources are used more effectively and only when needed, ensuring the safety of operators and reducing costs in a responsible way.

10. Advanced warning for disasters

The University of Loughborough’s has developed an Acoustic Landslide Detection system called ALARMS (Assessment of Landslides using Acoustic Real-time Monitoring Systems). It detects waves produced by soil movement and it relays information that can be used to issue early warnings to communities that could possibly be affected by natural disasters like earthquakes for example.

For more information in home networks and its advancement, check out this article at Don Burns Blogspot.

Internet of things: controversial changes for the future of the world

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The next major trend that will impact telecommunications is the boom of connected devices. This internet of things, or “Thingification”, will add billions if not trillions of new connected data sources globally by 2020. Objects throughout our lives will become connected, aware and chatty, constantly transmitting information across our global networks. The upswing of all of these devices will be an astronomical growth in data volumes; we will quickly push through Exabyte volumes and enter the world of Zettabytes per year, as sensors are added to everything, and everything starts sending out signals, the trunk lines of our networks will have to carry this crushing load of information. The “Thingification” begins for example with a light bulb, which is not particularly smart and it doesn´t have a lot to say, it's either "on" or "not on”. The challenge grows as millions and then billions of bulbs and toothbrushes and microwaves all start pushing more and more information, all of the time. The aggregated traffic from all of these devices will be enormous, and will stress our networks to the max.

The internet of things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, like said light bulbs, plus vehicles, buildings and other items, embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity that enables these objects to collect and exchange data. The IoT allows objects to be sensed and controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure, creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer based systems, and resulting in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit. The result of this begins with smart homes, intelligent transportation, and then smart cities. Each thing is uniquely identifiable through its embedded computing system but is able to interoperate within the existing Internet infrastructure. By 2020, the Internet of Things probably will consist of almost 50 billion objects. But what actually is this 'Internet of Things'? Basically, it's the combination of low-cost, low-power processors with 'real-world' electronic sensors and wireless network connectivity increasingly being added to a wide range of electrical devices. These sensors can measure everything from temperature and humidity to pressure, proximity, sound, light, gravity, movement, feedback and through on-board software, devices can record and action those measurements over the internet.

Imagine you wake up in the morning and the fitness tracker on your wrist has recorded how well you slept, uploading the results to your Twitter account. Your coffee machine reads your Twitter feed and knowing you're awake, begins brewing your first coffee of the day. Lights automatically turn on and off as you walk down the hall to the kitchen where your coffee is now waiting. As you leave for work, the robotic vacuum cleaner begins and updates its cleaning progress map to your phone. This is the world envisioned by tech giants powered by Internet of Things that promises to change the world we live in.

Today, there are already devices that work with the principle of IoT. In Denmark's a company named Scanomat has developed the TopBrewer, which lets you choose your coffee type from your Android or iOS phone or tablet. In Copenhagen, in TopBrewer Café, you can enjoy the service without queues, just your coffee ordered, brewed and paid for by your phone.

Image courtesy of Pierre Metivier at Flickr.com

This is definite frontier technology right now and the more we understand how it works, the data it generates and how that data is stored and used, the more we'll all be aware of the potential pitfalls and benefits the Internet of Things will bring. But there are two initial problems and a possible controversial third.

First, the IoT is beginning to suffer from the lack of consistent standards. Right now, the pace of IoT development is such that there's as much pressure to get product to market as there is to develop consistent standards to ensure we don't just see a bunch of devices that can't talk to each other. Everything from hardware interoperability to how recorded data is stored in the cloud is coming under scrutiny, with growing calls for standards to be set before the market progresses too far.

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Second, there is a battle going on, and that's for the platform. Not a day goes by without a new player claiming that their cloud hosted platform is best, from Apple's HomeKit, Google's Brillo and Intel's IoTivity to Qualcomm's AllJoyn, the UPnP Forum and ARM mbed, and the list goes on.

And third, there is no doubt Internet of Things could clash with our privacy ideals as the internet permeates its way into areas of our lives we probably never imagined.

This issue has been debated for years now. If you want to read more about it, go to: are we creating an insecure internet of things? And to know learn about facing the challenges in communications, follow this Link provided by Don Burns.

Li-Fi is the powerful replacement in wireless technology

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Wireless is a term used to describe telecommunications in which electromagnetic waves, rather than wires, carry the signal over part or all of the communication path. Wireless communication is among technology’s biggest contributions to mankind. The transmitted distance can be anywhere between a few meters (for example, a television’s remote control) and thousands of kilometers (for example, radio communication).

One of the popular wireless networking technology that uses radio waves to provide wireless high-speed Internet and network connections is Wi-Fi. This technology is supported by many applications and devices including video game consoles, home networks, PDAs, mobile phones, major operating systems, and other types of consumer electronics. You probably have heard of Wi-Fi, now you need to hear about Li-Fi. Still in the nascent stage, this new technology could change how you use the Internet. It’s much faster than existing Wi-Fi tech, it’s more energy efficient, and potentially more secure as well.

To read more about wireless technology, follow the link: Wireless Communication

Harold Haas is the biggest proponent of Li-Fi, a professor at The University of Edinburgh, and founder of the company pureLiFi, which is trying to bring the technology into real world markets. When Wi-Fi uses radio waves, by comparison, this technology is dependent entirely on light, specifically LED bulbs. In a way, it’s the next step in connected lighting. In the simplest terms, Li-Fi transfers data over light waves.

Li-Fi is a wireless optical networking technology that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for data transmission. 

Li-Fi is designed to use LED light bulbs similar to those currently in use in many energy-conscious homes and offices. However, Li-Fi bulbs are outfitted with a chip that modulates the light imperceptibly for optical data transmission. Li-Fi data is transmitted by the LED bulbs and received by photoreceptors.

You might be worried about how all that flickering in an office environment would drive you crazy, don’t worry, we’re talking LEDs that can be switched on and off at speeds imperceptible to the naked eye. And now, scientists have taken Li-Fi out of the lab for the first time, trialing it in offices and industrial environments in Tallinn, Estonia, reporting that they can achieve data transmission at 1GB per second, that's 100 times faster than current average Wi-Fi speeds. In April 2014, the Russian company Stins Coman announced the development of a Li-Fi wireless local network called BeamCaster. Their current module transfers data at 1.25 gigabytes per second but they foresee boosting speeds up to 5GB/second in the near future. In 2014 a new record was established by Sisoft (a Mexican company) that was able to transfer data at speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s across a light spectrum emitted by LED lamps.

The technology could also solve a growing problem with wireless communication systems: the radio frequency spectrum is overcrowded and we’re running out of space. The visible light spectrum is 10,000 times bigger, so Li-Fi is well placed to become the next generation of wireless communications.

Don Burns highlights some of the benefits of Li-Fi: Higher speeds than Wi-Fi; 10000 times the frequency spectrum of radio; more secure because data cannot be intercepted without a clear line of sight; prevents piggybacking (unauthorized access of a wireless LAN); eliminates neighboring network interference; unimpeded by radio interference; and does not create interference in sensitive electronics, making it better for use in environments like hospitals and aircraft.

There is always assumed to be a downside. An Estonian startup recently tested a commercial implementation of Li-Fi and found it to be superior to Wi-Fi in almost every way. The technology uses protocols, with additional standards to eliminate the impacts of interference and impacts of ambient lighting. 

Image courtesy of pinelife at Flickr.com

Despite this, however, natural light interferes with the technology, so it can’t be used outdoors (even near windows) or in other odd conditions. Visible light cannot travel through walls, an essential factor which gives old-school Wi-Fi a huge advantage. This line-of-sight limitation does make the system more secure and gives better control over emissions, but it is unclear what the minimum distance for signal reception would be if clear line-of-sight is achieved. With that in mind, it is easy to imagine the signal being intercepted by someone with a telephoto lens and an optical sensor tuned appropriately. While Li-Fi was touted as a possible channel for wireless communications on airplanes, widespread adoption of onboard Wi-Fi on most American airlines makes this use case less and less pertinent.

For the time being, all this downsides lead to think that there is one place to use Li-Fi in its current iteration, and it is one cold dark room filled with LED lights. We need to wait for more information and advances regarding this powerful replacement in wireless technology.

Interested in more groundbreaking telecommunication technology? Read about Microsoft Hololens