Capital tech firm PureLifi eyes consumer market with new technology

Wireless communications firm PureLiFi is targeting the consumer market as it gets ready to unveil new technology that allows LiFi connectivity to be integrated into mobile handsets.

PureLiFi chief executive Alistair Banham said the ecosystem is 'crying out for new wireless technology'. Picture: Contributed

The Edinburgh-based firm will debut the first consumer device powered by Gigabit LiFi at Mobile World Congress, a global industry conference, later this month.

It will contain new optical LiFi components allowing, for the first time, mobile device manufacturers to design LiFi into mobile handsets. LiFi uses LEDs (light-emitting diodes) to deliver high-speed wireless connectivity, instead of using radio waves like WiFi.

The company claims the service is “virtually interference free” and “inherently more secure” than radio technology. According to PureLiFi, it can also service “more users per square metre than any other wireless technology on the market”, making it a key player as smart technology, autonomous vehicles, and virtual and augmented reality services drive up demand for wireless connectivity.

Chief executive Alistair Banham said: “The ecosystem is crying out for new spectrum and new wireless technology that will service the global appetite for more bandwidth and digital innovation. Device manufactures need new technology to be sure they’re ready for 5G and differentiate between their competition.

“We’ve led global adoption of LiFi into critical use cases such as government and industry and now we’re bringing the technology into every device and every light for everyone.”

The company, formed in 2012 as a spin-out from the University of Edinburgh, has previously conducted 5G trials with O2 Telefonica and collaborated with aerospace and defence company Astronics Corporation to explore the use of LiFi in aircraft.