Energy-efficient broadband data communications using white LEDs on aircraft powerlines

Broadband powerline communication has advanced through last decade and it is going to be a mature access technique in near future. Meanwhile, optical wireless communication through energy-efficient lighting LEDs has been investigated, recently. In this paper, it is shown that marriage of these two techniques creates an efficient delivery mechanism for fulfilling the promise of broadband access onboard an aircraft, while providing efficient and low-cost lighting. The potential capabilities of these two emerging techniques are examined.