"Li-Fi WORKS Despite Typical Jammers!"

Why is an Indian startup working on cutting-edge tech like Li-Fi? What advantages does Li-Fi hold over Wi-Fi? Who should invest in Li-Fi? EFY'S Nitisha Dubey managed to speak to Deepak Solanki, Founder and CEO of Velmenni, to explore these questions and more...

- DEEPAK SOLANKI

How does your outdoor Li-Fi solution function?

Our LC Link consists of a transmitter and a receiver, with the transmitter being an LED. In front of the LED, we have a set of lenses that allow us to control the light’s beam pattern. This setup enables us to place our system on a tower and input data through an Ethernet/fibre cable. A processor within the system modulates the Ethernet packet, which is then transmitted using the LED. The light passes through the lenses, focusing it on another tower, potentially up to one or two kilometres away. An identical system is placed on the second tower, focusing the transmitted light from the first to its receiver. The receiver then converts the light signal back into an electrical signal, decoding the data packets, including internet packets, and sending them back through an Ethernet/fibre cable. This process effectively connects the two mobile towers using our LC Link systems, with one transmitting the light and the other receiving and decoding it, thus enabling seamless data transfer between them.

What is the maximum effective distance of such a solution?

This long-range product can operate over distances of up to two kilometres. Within this two-kilometre radius, our LC Link can connect with multiple systems and mobile towers, allowing for seamless connectivity among several towers. The product is already available in the market, and we have successfully deployed it with multiple telecom operators in India and abroad. We have deployments in Sri Lanka, the US, and India, with ongoing trials and completed commercial implementations.

How does the Li-Fi system work, and what hardware is required to set it up in an office or home environment?