Researchers have successfully tested a WiFi alternative that transfers binary information over light emissions.

LiFi uses smart LED light bulbs to send information at up to 1GBps - around 100 times faster than your average WiFi network.

Invented by Professor Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh, the technology is being field tested in offices and industrial settings by Estonian startup Velmenni.

"Currently we have designed a smart lighting solution for an industrial environment where the data communication is done through light," Velmenni CEO Deepak Solanki told International Business Times.

"We are also doing a pilot project with a private client where we are setting up a LiFi network to access the internet in their office space."

LiFi relies on the visual spectrum, instead of radio waves, using light bulbs that flash on and off rapidly to carry data.

The network technology has hit speeds of 3GBps in laboratory settings, but this has not been replicated in the real world.

LiFi has been touted as a companion to WiFi, rather than its successor, helping customers enjoy top speeds indoors thanks to its wall-penetrating abilities.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io