Visible light communication – An architectural perspective on the applications and data rate improvement strategies

Demand for bandwidth hungry applications and mobile services is pushing an unquenchable need for wireless capacity. Existing radio frequency networks are characterized by shared medium, inadequate spectrum, and restricted user capacity. Solid state lighting is modernizing indoor as well as outdoor illumination. The capability of quick switching of light emitting diode makes them superior to other lighting sources enabling simultaneous use as a communication and illumination device. Visible light communication (VLC) using light emitting diodes is an attractive approach for many networking scenarios and is considered as a complementary technology for future heterogeneous wireless networks. This article presents an architectural perspective on the applications and data rate improvement strategies. A wide range of VLC applications have been investigated, comparison has been drawn with radio frequency, and generalized network architecture is also proposed. Numerous applications of VLC are data rate intensive, so data rate improvement approaches have also been studied. At the end, a lucid conclusion is drawn about the applicability, acceptability, and utilization of VLC and co‐VLC–based systems. Visible light communication (VLC) is a revolutionary technology which has the potential not only to disentangle RF spectrum crunch issue but also fulfil the requirements of future bandwidth hungry applications. In next generation networks, VLC will be working in conjunction with the existing RF technologies to enrich our lives by enabling ubiquitous, high‐speed, and secure communication. The future of wireless communication is GREEN!