LightPointe Launches Visible Light Company

LightPointe Communications Inc., a manufacturer of long-range outdoor point-to-point wireless bridges using radio frequency and laser technology, has formed a new company focused on visible light communications and light fidelity (LiFi).

The new company, Firefly Wireless Networks LCC, has launched after two years of incubation at LightPointe's R&D labs in San Diego. Firefly is owned by LightPointe Communications, venture capital firm Berg and Berg Enterprises, and telecommunications engineering company Teleconnect GmbH. Firefly engineers have already received patents in the visible light communications (VLC) sector, and have developed initial products for highly secure data communications.

VLC and LiFi technologies have recently gained attention as an alternative to WiFi and radio frequency communications methods, since WiFi and radio spectrums have become congested and prone to interference and reliability issues. In addition, by using light spectrum — up to 10,000× more plentiful than radio frequency spectrum — communications are virtually impossible to intercept, thus avoiding cyber security and eavesdropping threats.

LightPointe manufactures outdoor wireless bridges for building-to-building enterprise connectivity and point-to-point applications.