VLC-Based Networking: Feasibility and Challenges

TL;DR

This paper examines the potential of visible-light communication (VLC) as a network technology, highlighting its advantages, challenges, and integration issues within existing telecommunication systems, especially for 5G and light-fidelity.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of VLC's feasibility as a network technology, discussing implementation challenges and integration into current networks and standards.

Findings

VLC offers high bandwidth and cost-effective dual-use of lighting for communication.

Challenges include integration with existing networks and standardization issues.

VLC has potential to complement 5G and light-fidelity systems.

Abstract

Visible-light communication (VLC) has emerged as a prominent technology to address the radio spectrum shortage. It is characterized by the unlicensed and unexploited high bandwidth, and provides the system with cost-effective advantages because of the dual-use of light bulbs for illumination and communication and the low complexity design. It is considered to be utilized in various telecommunication systems, including 5G, and represents the key technology for light-fidelity. To this end, VLC has to be integrated into the existing telecommunication networks. Therefore, its analysis as a network technology is momentous. In this article, we consider the feasibility of using VLC as a network technology and discuss the challenges related to the implementation of a VLC-based network, as well as the integration of VLC into existing conventional networks and its inclusion in standards.