LUCIBEL Launches 2nd Generation Li-Fi Products
Convinced of the very high potential of light data transmission technologies in the coming years, Lucibel, a major player in Li-Fi technology, is stepping up its technological developments in this field. Thus, four months after the formalization by the international organization IEEE of the creation of the future standard LiFi 802.11bb, Lucibel puts on the market a 2nd generation of products, resulting with his partner, the pureLiFi Scottish company. This 2nd generation will be marketed by Lucibel to its customers from November 2018.
While the global market for Led lighting is estimated at 39 billion euros (£34 billions) in 2023, the global market for light data transmission technologies, including Li-Fi (Light Fidelity, Internet access solution by light), should represent 65 billion euros (£57 billions), according to a study by Research and Markets.
Lucibel is a french company specialising in the design and manufacturing of new generation lighting products and solutions from LED technology. Lucibel sees that LED revolution goes far beyond lighting and provides access to new markets. For several years, the group has decided to position itself on new uses of LED, namely in well-being (circadian lighting, cosmetics) and light-based communication (LiFi, VLC).
In September 2016, Lucibel launched the first industrialised Li-Fi luminary in the world. Since then, this 1st generation Li-Fi has been marketed to more than 100 different customers (end customers such as banks, defense companies, R & D centres, head offices, factories, hospitals, nurseries, ...). These first users of the Li-Fi have confirmed the interest of this lighting solution that allows a wireless Internet connection, secure, without radio waves and offering excellent quality of service.
While the 1st generation has been deployed on pilot projects (experimentation phase), the second will allow a wider deployment (acceleration / expansion phase), thanks to improved performances and a significantly lower commercialisation price.
Lucibel 1st generation dongle - photo credit from Sarath Murukappan
With a bandwidth increase of nearly 30% (54 Mbps against 42 Mbps for the 1st generation), the 2nd generation Li-Fi Lucibel will allow an even more comfortable use in Internet access. In addition, this 2nd generation now allows 16 simultaneous users to benefit from a secure connection, under the cone of light, against 8 so far. The product design has been revised to allow better integration of lighting and connectivity features. Two patents have been filed by Lucibel on these new methods of integration between these functions.
Finally, "Power over Ethernet " (PoE) technology, which foreshadows a profound change in building architecture, is now integrated natively in Li-Fi luminaires. This feature eliminates the need for an electrical cable and is a major advance in the evolution of the network architecture of buildings.
Price is a decisive element in the deployment of disruptive technology. The transition from FPGA electronic card technology to an Asic card allows Lucibel to divide the price of its Li-Fi solution by more than 2. Indeed, while the 1st generation was offered at a public price of €2500 (£2200) for a luminaire and a key Li-Fi, the 2nd generation will be marketed €1100 (€ 750 (£662) for the luminaire and €350 (£309) for the key).
These improved technical performance, coupled with a lower selling price, will allow LiFi to position itself as the ideal solution for providing connectivity in all environments where Wi-fi is technically not very or not deployable.
First available in "downlight" version, the range will be expanded at the end of 2018 with the arrival of a Li-Fi panel and, during the first half of 2019, a standing luminaire. Lucibel will therefore offer, from the end of the first half of 2019, a complete range of luminaires to adapt to the broadest needs of its customers.