US university offers wireless broadband via LEDs
26 Jan 2006

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University in the US are developing a system enabling white LED technology to be used for wireless broadband Internet access.

Dr Mohsen Kavehrad, professor of electrical engineering at the university, has shown that coupling white LEDs to broadband over power lines (BPL) technology – a system that delivers fast Internet access over existing medium or low voltage power line grids – can deliver secure, wireless bit rates of one gigabit per second, a rate which Kavehrad says is only exceeded by fibre.

By plugging LEDs into a room’s electrical system, broadband data, voice or video delivered via power lines can piggyback on the light that fills the room to connect with any devices that receive the signal.

According to Kavehrad, the system would require few adjustments to be made to today’s buildings. ‘The electric wiring in place right now is all that is needed and that exists in all buildings. You simply replace standard light bulbs with LED ones,’ he says.

As well as being fast, Penn State’s technology is more secure than other forms of wireless transmission. As the light from LEDs does not go through walls, no one from outside can connect to the wireless network. In addition, there are no known health hazards associated with exposure to LED light.

Although white LEDs are not yet commercially available for this type of application, Kavehrad is confident that they will be. ‘White LEDs are not there yet but by 2010, they will be available and economical,’ he says. ‘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.’