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Of course this isn't the first time light has been used for computer communications. IrDA was the wireless communications protocol of choice before WiFi ever appeared, with IrLAN access point-type devices allowing rooms full of PDAs to connect to the local network, and the internet, wirelessly.

While WiFi is relatively slow, much faster WiDi/Miracast/WiGig has been around in niche applications for a few years. The high frequencies used have some of the same limitations as visible light communications, which has limited adoption thus far. Since people will continue to want WiFi, WiGig will integrate much better with it.

Li-Fi has some serious limitation... Significant expense to upgrade your lights, or at least their controllers. And only one-way communications at those speeds... Your computers, laptops and smartphones will need some way to send information back. That would mean lights in your devices, and optical pickups all over the building.