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Meet LiFi: The New Tech Delivering High-Speed Internet Using Light
The cutting-edge innovation offers low latency, stable streaming, and doesn’t force users to compromise with bandwidth.
Looking for faster internet than Wi-Fi? Enter LiFi, a groundbreaking technology launched by pureLiFi, a UK-based company, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC 2024) in Barcelona. This innovative approach to wireless communication utilizes light, offering users low latency and congestion-free experiences for gaming, video conferencing, and media streaming.
Unlike traditional methods like Wi-Fi and 5G, LiFi transmits data wirelessly through light, circumventing common issues such as buffering and signal vulnerability. Ron Schaeffer, pureLiFi’s chief strategy officer, highlighted LiFi’s ease of use and lack of congestion compared to traditional Wi-Fi.
“Just like Wi-Fi access points people have, it is also a plug-and-play. People can plug into a network, and within a few seconds, you have LiFi,” explained Schaeffer.
“Importantly, it is not subject to congestion like Wi-Fi is. Everyone who would be connected to LiFi will have full bandwidth. For instance, if you are watching a video, someone is on a video call and another person is playing a VR game, you all are competing for Wi-Fi bandwidth. With LiFi, everyone has their own bandwidth. You can take off the Wi-Fi network and put it onto LiFi; the internet experience also improves because it is less congested. So, we say LiFi makes Wi-Fi better,” the Chief Strategy Officer added.
LiFi boasts impressive capabilities, transmitting and receiving 1GB of data per second in each direction, covering an area of up to 50 square meters. Its inherent security benefits, stemming from its inability to pass through walls, make it particularly interesting to security-conscious users.
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pureLiFi plans to collaborate with telecom providers to deploy its devices in homes and offices. Schaeffer emphasized the company’s potential to revolutionize internet connectivity, citing its vast spectrum availability compared to radio frequencies.
Alistair Banham, CEO of pureLiFi, expressed excitement about LiFi’s ability to address current and future connectivity challenges, including the release of light antennas for various devices: “LiFi is now ready to augment and extend other wireless technologies ushering in a new era of bandwidth, speed and reliable communications,” he said.
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Checkout.com Set To Launch Card Issuing In The UAE
The payment service provider’s expansion is a first-of-its-kind investment and could reshape digital transactions across the region.
Checkout.com is laying the groundwork to become the first global payments platform to introduce card issuing in the United Arab Emirates — a move that could reshape how businesses in the region manage financial transactions.
The company plans to roll out its domestic card issuance offering in the UAE by 2026, subject to regulatory approval. The launch would give businesses the tools to issue both physical and virtual branded cards. This, in turn, opens up new ways to reward customers, streamline expense processes, and handle B2B payouts efficiently.
Checkout.com’s CEO and Founder, Guillaume Pousaz, revealed the plans during Thrive Abu Dhabi, the firm’s debut conference in the Emirates. Joined on stage by Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA, Pousaz presented to an audience of over 150 partners and merchants at Saadiyat Island. Also in attendance was H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.
Abbondandolo highlighted the strategic importance of the announcement: “As a global business, we focus on bringing products to markets that our customers want and need. Today’s announcement is proof of our commitment to the MENA region and its rising influence in the digital economy. The appetite for innovation here is real, and we’re proud to be building the infrastructure that powers it”.
One early adopter of Checkout.com’s UAE acquiring services is Headout, a travel experiences marketplace, which recently named the payment provider as its main partner in Europe. The company has already begun card issuing there and is keen to expand that offering into MENA once approval is granted.
The expansion of services in the UAE and beyond builds on Checkout.com’s track record in the region. It was the first global payments firm to secure a Retail Payment Services license from the UAE’s Central Bank and was instrumental in rolling out Mada and Apple Pay in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Also Read: Protecting Your WhatsApp Account From Hackers: Kaspersky Expert Tips
The firm has also been rolling out new products: One of the latest is Flow Remember Me, currently in beta testing. It allows shoppers to store their card information once and access it across Checkout.com’s entire network, potentially cutting checkout times by up to 70%.
Earlier this year, Checkout.com also introduced Visa Direct’s Push-to-Card solution in the UAE, enabling both domestic and international payouts. Its collaboration with Mastercard has grown as well, making it easier for businesses to send funds directly to third-party cards securely and quickly.
With regional tech ambitions on the rise — spurred by initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s 2031 Agenda — Checkout.com sees its role as one of a key enabler. “Our mission is to help ambitious businesses navigate the complexity of payments, so they can move faster, go further, and make the most of every opportunity,” said Abbondandolo. “In MENA, performance is personal. It’s local. It’s built on trust. And when payments perform, businesses thrive”.
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