For users that have long dreamed of a wireless communications technology that is faster than WiFi and significantly cheaper the wait might soon be over as Light Fidelity or LiFi as it is more commonly known enters the market arena.

The way that LiFi technology works is that it uses the frequencies generated by LED bulbs which flicker on and off imperceptibly thousands of times a second to beam information through the air. The bulbs are outfitted with a microchip turning them into a hotspot. The technology has already made its way out of laboratories in 2015 and is being tested in everyday settings in France a LiFi pioneer in places such as a museums and shopping malls. It has also been tested in Belgium Estonia and India.

One of the biggest advantages of LiFi over WiFi is its lightning speed. Laboratory tests have shown theoretical speeds of over 200gbps which are fast enough to download the equivalent of 23 DVDs in one second Suat Topsu founder and head of Oledcomm noted. He revealed that LiFi allows speeds that are 100 times faster than WiFi which uses radio waves to transmit data.

With analysts predicting the number of objects that are connected to the Internet soaring to 50 million by 2020 and the spectrum for radio waves used by WiFi in short supply LiFi offers a viable alternative according to its promoters. UAE-based telecommunications service provider du and UAE-born brand Zero1 recently successfully demonstrated the capability of LiFi technology in Dubai.

LiFi complements WiFi technology by minimising the risk of loss of data in a high density area in a confined region. In doing so it will be adding significant value to du's wireless broadband portfolio capabilities in both indoor and outdoor data transmissions. The integration of LiFi enables du to provide solutions for its business customer across municipal commercial and industrial environments. Du has demonstrated three use cases over LiFi technology including Internet over LiFi video and audio streaming over LiFi.

Saleem AlBlooshi executive vice president of network development and operations at du said: "With the global LiFi market expected to reach $80 billion by 2021 we expect to see demand for this technology increasing exponentially over the coming years. We wanted to ensure our customers were aware of this technology and the demonstration of LiFi technology complements our broadband portfolio for the business segment. We are currently working with major businesses to create tailor-made LiFi solutions and to test and validate the applications so that we can ensure we offer the latest in innovation to our valued customers."

LiFi is particularly suitable for environments where safety and data security are paramount such as hospitals company headquarters transport and security agencies. LiFi is also unimpeded by radio interference and generates no electromagnetic smog. This makes it a superior option for intrinsically hazardous environments such as refineries oil platforms or petrol stations.