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Using Visible Light for Data Transfer

Posted by chrisd on from the look-at-the-pretty-lights dept.

James Evans writes "Wired has an article about a New Zealand company which has developed a technology to transmit data at speeds up to 400Mbps up to 4km. They are working to have it more resistant to changes in weather, as well as increasing the distance. It has a number of advantages, including lack of federal regulation of the spectrum, as it is of course, visible light." In related terrestrial networking news, waytoomuchcoffee writes "Science Blog reports that the backbone for the World's Fastest Network is up and running. It's a fiber optic 40 gigabit per second connection between Chicago and LA. Teragrid is a project by the National Science Foundation designed to link up supercomputer centers."

5 of 345 comments (clear)

  1. Federal Regulation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How long do you suppose the lack of federal regulation will last?

    1. Re:Federal Regulation by tanveer1979 · · Score: 5, Interesting
      Forever
      Reason?
      People will use headlights for another 50 years...Lights will be integral part of cities... Unless they ban flashing of lights.... this cant be outlawed
      Consider this, when you flash your lights to an oncoming vehical, you are conveying information, or atleast acknowleding its presense, the tech was already there, its the 400 MBPs that is wow!

      But I wonder how robust or secure is this.... can an airplane with flashing lights bring down your server.....?

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  2. Visible light regulation by quintessent · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Some places do have ordinances against light pollution. I wonder how this would fit in. Also, will it come with a warning, such as "Do not look at transmitter with remaining good eye"?

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  3. Fiber Optics? by CoolQ · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Doesn't this just sound like fiber optics without the fiber?
    I seem to remember this being done a long time ago. I've got an electronics book with a schematic for a serial 28k transmitter using visible light.
    --Quentin

    1. Re:Fiber Optics? by Max+Romantschuk · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Doesn't this just sound like fiber optics without the fiber?

      There is one critical difference: ease of installation. Installing a fiber optic line is really cumbersome, since it involves lots and lots of digging.

      This could really be something for high speed communications infrastructures. Take cities: digging is hard, and radiowaves pletiful, even so much as to people being afraid of them.

      Pigeons could be a problem though ;)

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