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New Lighting Technology To Wipe Out Wi-Fi Access?

Posted by Hemos on from the extinction-level dept.

Richard Evans writes "Focus on Broadband Wireless Internet Access has an article [cached by google ] on the potentially catastrophic interference to Communications Users Of The 2.4 GHz Band e.g. Wi-Fi, DECT and Bluetooth by a new lighting technology called RF Lighting."

7 of 321 comments (clear)

  1. You agreed to this when you bought your equipment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
    If consumers would bother to read the FCC-mandated disclosures that come with all of their new high-tech toys, they would see the following quote:
    Operation of equipment marketed under this waiver is subject to Section 15.5 of the Commission's Rules. Any operation shall not interfere with authorized radio services; operations shall accept any interference that may be received, including interference that may adversely affect the operation of the units authorized under the waiver. No user of the equipment sold under the waiver shall be deemed to have any vested right to any part of the RF spectrum employed by the equipment.
    It's there, plain as day. If you're mad that somebody nearby is trying to reduce dependence on foreign energy and save the environment by using highly efficient magnetron-powered lights, you have nobody to blame but yourself. There is no substitute for proper consumer education.
  2. Easy Solution: by frantzdb · · Score: 5, Funny

    To prevent interference, RF lights should simply practice exponential backoff for colision avoidance like everyone else in the 2.4GHz range. What's more, the lights would then become an effective network load monitor.

    --Ben

  3. How RF/Fusion Lighting Works by jsimon12 · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.fusionlighting.com/technology.htm

  4. Re:Would This Be Legal? by JordoCrouse · · Score: 5, Informative

    Read the article:

    Eventually the FCC decided to offer a Faustian bargain: Industry could use the existing ISM spectrum if they adhered to certain technical limitations with no expectation of protection.

    In other words, as long as you stay within the 2.4 GHz spectrum, you can do what ever you want, as long as you didn't expect to be protected from interference from other devices.

    Bluetooth and 802.11B have already violently clashed in this space already. I have seen it myself - with a 802.11B card in one PCMCIA slot, as soon as I turn on a bluetooth card in the other slot, my average ping time on the 802.11B goes up considerably.

    --
    Do you have Linux and a DotPal? Click here now!
  5. this is why I rarely read slashdot anymore ! by noahbagels · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This article is utter garbage!!!

    The first link (off-site) from the article referred to, in fact the makor of said "RF-Lightning-Craptacular VC-Money Whoring" company has a "our website is under construction" on it.


    C'mon people - stop posting obvious flamebait articles at the highest level. This was a freakin waste of everyone's time.

  6. Seen this lighting.. It bites. by stormcrow969 · · Score: 5, Informative

    The company I used to work for did the very first large scale (non-test) installation of their lighting products in the US. It sounded like an awesome product. It would provide MORE light for LESS power with LESS maintenance.

    We installed a HUGE area with this stuff (took many months to do the install). A year later we ended up yanking every bit of it out. Why? Well, there were SEVERAL technical problems with these things that they hadn't worked out. The short version of how they work is that they irradiate a glove with some sulfur in it with microwaves and turn it into a glowing plasma. Well, that stuff is a bit hot, so you have to continuously rotate the 'bulb' This rotational part breaks, so the light breaks.. the reflectors can't stand the heat, etc.

    so don't worry.. they are in bankruptcy... :)

  7. Go check out the prototype installations in D.C. by Animats · · Score: 5, Informative
    Prototypes of this "sulfur lamp" technology are in place at two public places in the Washington, D.C. area, the front of Department of Energy headquarters and the Gallery Place Metro station. So get down there with your Wi-Fi equippped laptop and see what the situation is.

    This looks like a niche product. It's not even clear that Fusion Lighting is still in business. Their web site is essentially defunct. Their web site used to have some nice pictures of glass bulbs and more info, but now, it's just a starter page.