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Engineers at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU)
have demonstrated a white-LED-based wireless
communications system that promises to exceed the
transmission capacity of DSL systems.
White LEDs, which are a relatively recent development
in LED technology, are seen to eventually replace
fluorescent and incandescent bulbs. However, Dr. Mohsen
Kvehrad of the PSU's Center for Information and
Communications Technology Research has shown that white
LEDs can be coupled to broadband over power line (BPL)
grids to deliver secure, wireless bit rates of up to
1Gbps.
In a paper co-authored by electrical engineering
doctoral candidate Pouyan Amirshahi, Kavehrad showed
that white LEDs can be used to wirelessly transmit
broadband data, voice or video sent via a roomâs power
lines.
Kavehrad expressed confidence that white LED
technology will progress to the point at which his
proposed data transmission system can be made
commercially available.
"White LEDs are not there yet but by 2010, they will
be available and economical. Their low-energy
consumption will make them especially attractive. In the
future, when you turn on the lights for indoor low-cost
lighting, you could receive broadband via the same white
light LED," he said.
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