Wi-Fi at the Speed of Light

February 11, 2010 | Source: Technology Review

Penn State researchers have built an experimental wireless network that uses reflected low-power infrared light instead of radio waves to transmit data through the air at one gigabit per second — 14 times faster than the fastest Wi-Fi network and the highest speed that’s been demonstrated for an indoor wireless optical network.

Such optical networks could provide faster, more secure communications for broadcasting high-definition TV channels between rooms, and would be especially suitable for use in hospitals, aircraft, and factories, where radio-frequency transmission can interfere with various systems.