Could Optical Wireless Networks Make Traditional Wi-Fi Obsolete?

Pennsylvania State University has recently created an entirely method of using wireless indoors using optical technology. The service uses things called multi element transmitters and multi branch optimal receivers in quasi-diffuse configuration, and what we think that means in English is the service can run at speeds of over one gigabit per second (plenty of speed for network transfers or large files). Like optical broadband, the service uses light to send data.

Because the service uses light, multiple sensors could be set up and each room and bounced off walls. Not only does this make wireless broadband much faster, it could also vastly increase the security of wireless networks by reducing the range to a much smaller area (i.e, one house).

The system could also be used in areas were heavy radio usage interfere with a traditional Wi-Fi single. Overall, the technology is clearly a step up from Wi-Fi, but the cost of the technology could well turn many people off.

There?s no commercial product planned yet, but we can imagine that when it does get released it?s going to quite a bit more expensive than regular Wi-Fi. Still, Wi-Fi is a popular technology that has had very few technical advances in the last few years and any new breakthroughs in the technology can only be a good thing, especially while the government are so determined to use our IP address as evidence in file sharing cases.

What do you think? Would you welcome fast Wi-Fi or are your current speeds good enough? Would you be willing to pay more than the average price of a router to enjoy increased range (and therefore, increased security)?

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