The evolution of LiFi
Li-Fi, which stands for Light Fidelity, is a wireless communication technology that uses light signals instead of radio waves to transmit data. It offers higher data transfer rates and greater security than traditional Wi-Fi.
Introduced as a term in 2011 by Harald Haas, at the time, the Li-Fi market was still in its early stages, with several companies and research institutes beginning to actively explore and develop the technology. Over time, research institutes and universities across Europe conducted studies and experiments to investigate the potential applications and benefits of LiFi technology in order to improve the performance, reliability and scalability of solutions.
It is important to note that the LiFi market is influenced by various factors, including technological advances, regulatory frameworks, infrastructure requirements and market demand. Some industry studies, such as the one by Yole Développement and Piseo, estimate the value of the Li-Fi market to be around $1.1 billion in 2023. Certainly, the market is experiencing significant growth beginning in 2021, with CAGR of 53% between 2021 and 2023. Industry, healthcare, defence, hospitality, retail, education, construction will account for 80% of the projected sales volume in 2023. Technology and volume integration will enable strong cost reductions, which will fuel market growth of $15 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 51% from 2022 to 2030 (Source: https://www.precedenceresearch.com/li-fi-market).
Obstacles and growth prospects
Yole and Piseo consider LiFi to be a technology with high potential, but there are two factors that could impede its rapid development in the short and medium term: standardization, on which there have been recent important developments, and the development of products and services incorporating Li-Fi technology.
In this context, as To Be, we have succeeded in becoming a point of reference for the global market, so much so that we represented Italy at the 'LiFi Conference' in Eindhoven, an important meeting between research and industry, which was useful for delving into the LiFi market trends, the dynamics of this ecosystem, the possible applications of this technology in environments ranging from cultural heritage to healthcare, from schools to retail, from the role of research to the role that start-ups are having in reaching the market.
To Be's case studies
Thanks to synergies with institutions and the corporate world, To Be has been the first to realise numerous projects in sectors such as Cultural Heritage, Health and Education. In fact, we have several very significant references to our credit in these areas, which exploit LiFi technology. Among the most important are the installations in the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Castel del Monte, and the National Archaeological Museum of Altamura, which have enriched the experience of visitors by allowing them to receive information on the various works on display directly on their smartphones and to be guided through the exhibition thanks to LiFi's accurate geolocation system. Again, To Be brought LiFi to several Italian schools to enable students to connect to the network via light in a safe, fast and sustainable manner, while at the ASL Napoli 2 Nord, the Pozzuoli, Ischia and Procida sites are the first Italian hospitals where LiFi has enabled them to improve the services available to patients, visitors, doctors and hospital staff.
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