A Proof of Concept Implementation of LiFi over Power Line Networks based on ITU-T G.hn

Outdoor-to-indoor radio penetration is the main bottleneck for indoor reception of mobile services. Nowadays, Wi-Fi is commonly used in wireless indoor networks but limited through interference from neighboring networks through walls and limited available spectrum. A possible new approach is to add optical wireless communication, also called light fidelity (LiFi), to modern indoor wireless networks. However, economic analysis indicates that the main cost driver for LiFi is the dense wired infrastructure. In this paper, we investigate a feasible solution to distribute data to LiFi access points through power line communication (PLC), reducing the required infrastructure cost. We describe the two most common approaches, based on decode and forward as well as amplify and forward. We then show a first proof-of-concept implementation and throughput measurements of the latter approach. The implemented proof-of-concept is based on existing chipsets and off-the-shelf components, theoretically allowing for mass production.