| Feature |
Li-Fi |
Wi-Fi |
| Full Form |
Light Fidelity |
Wireless Fidelity |
| Operation |
Li-Fi transmits data using light with the help of LED bulbs. |
Wi-Fi transmits data using radio waves with the help of Wi-Fi router. |
| Interference |
Do not have any interference issues similar to radio frequency waves. |
Will have interference issues from nearby access points(routers) |
| Technology |
Present IrDA compliant devices |
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ad standard compliant devices |
| Applications |
Used in airlines, undersea explorations, operation theatres in the hospitals, office and home premises for data transfer and internet browsing |
Used for internet browsing with the help of Wi-Fi hotspots |
| Merits (advantages) |
Interference is less, can pass through salty sea water, works in dense region |
Interference is more, cannot pass through sea water, works in less dense region |
| Privacy |
In Li-Fi, light is blocked by the walls and hence will provide more secure data transfer |
In Wi-Fi, RF signal cannot be blocked by the walls and hence need to employ techniques to achieve secure data transfer. |
| Data transfer speed |
About 1 Gbps |
WLAN-11n offers 150 Mbps, About 1 - 2 Gbps can be achieved using Wi-Gig/Giga-IR |
| Frequency of operation |
10 thousand times frequency spectrum of the radio |
2.4 GHz, 4.9 GHz and 5 GHz |
| Data density |
Works in high dense environment |
Works in less dense environment due to interference related issues |
| Coverage distance |
About 10 meters |
About 32 meters (WLAN 802.11b/11g), vary based on transmit power and antenna type |
| System components |
Lamp driver, LED bulb (lamp) and photo detector will make up complete Li-Fi system |
Requires routers to be installed, subscriber devices(laptops, PDAs, desktops) are referred as stations |