What if we could use existing technologies to provide Internet access to the more than 4 billion people living in places where the infrastructure can't support it? Using off-the-shelf LEDs and solar cells, Harald Haas and his team have pioneered a new technology that transmits data using light, and it may just be the key to bridging the digital divide. Take a look at what the future of the Internet could look like.

Forget Wi-Fi. Meet the new Li-Fi Internet

Transmitting high-speed data using ordinary LED lamps and solar cells, this approach turns light into a safe and energy-efficient information channel. In one lab demonstration, a standard solar cell received video at 50 megabytes per second, outpacing most broadband. By leveraging existing lighting and solar infrastructure, billions of devices could connect without adding energy demands. This innovation may help close the Internet gap for over four billion people worldwide.

Light-Powered Internet Could Bridge the Digital Divide

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TED Stage Talk

Harald Haas: Forget Wi-Fi. Meet the new Li-Fi Internet