New IEEE 802.11 Light Communications Study Group gets underway

A new IEEE 802.11 Light Communications Study Group has been formed to engage with manufacturers, operators and end users to discuss a global wireless local area network light communications standard.

IEEE said solid state lighting, e.g., LED lighting, could leverage available and very large source of wireless spectrum outside of the traditional radio spectrum and that the technology has notable potential as a wireless solution that offers greater bandwidth and efficiency, security, and data density, while not being subjected to or contributing to electromagnetic interference (EMI) below 3 THz.

“In just a few short years, the interest in light communications has grown significantly and there is an enormous amount of valuable knowledge that vendors and operators can share as they work together to advance the technology globally,” said Nikola Serafimovski, chair of the IEEE 802.11 Light Communications Study Group. “It’s an exciting time for the light communications market sector, as it is poised for substantial growth over the next five years. We look forward to broad participation under the auspices of the IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Working Group and the IEEE-SA as we work to develop the light communications market in line with industry needs, and to ensure best practices that drive market expansion.”