IEEE 802.11bb

{{Short description|Wireless networking standard}}

File:Li-Fi-Wi-Fi.png

IEEE 802.11bb is a line-of-sight light-based wireless networking standard that is part of the 802.11 suite of standards, which defines an interoperable communications protocol for Li-Fi devices.{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Mark |date=2023-07-12 |title=802.11bb Standard Released for WiFi Style Visible Light LiFi Networks |url=https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2023/07/802-11bb-standard-released-for-wifi-style-visible-light-lifi-networks.html |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=ISPreview UK |language=en}} Its proponents state that it will allow for very high speed communication that is faster than Wi-Fi.{{Cite web |first=Mark|last= Tyson |date=2023-07-12 |title=100x Faster Than Wi-Fi: Li-Fi, Light-Based Networking Standard Released |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/news/li-fi-standard-released |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Tom's Hardware |language=en}}

Li-Fi is intended to provide better bandwidth compared to microwave. To achieve faster speeds the standard will likely need to adopt some of the technologies used with optical fiber based networking. Multiple channels can reach extremely high speeds.

The 802.11bb standard describes the use of light in the near-infrared 800 to 1000 nm waveband to implement data rates between 10 Mbit/s and 9.6 Gbit/s, with interoperability between devices with different capabilities.{{Cite web |title=IEEE Approved Draft Standard for Information Technology; Telecommunications and Information Exchange Between Systems Local and Metropolitan Area Networks--Specific Requirements - Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications Amendment 7: Light Communications |url=https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.11bb/10823/ |access-date=2023-07-14}}{{Cite web |title=IEEE P802.11 - LIGHT COMMUNICATION TASK GROUP |url=https://www.ieee802.org/11/Reports/tgbb_update.htm |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=www.ieee802.org}}

Development of 802.11bb was carried out by the IEEE 802.11 Light Communications Task Group. Companies participating in the standardization effort included pureLiFi and Fraunhofer HHI.{{Cite web |last=Manners |first=David |date=2023-07-12 |title=LiFi standard released - IEEE 802.11bb |url=https://www.electronicsweekly.com/uncategorised/lifi-standard-released-ieee-802-11bb-2023-07/ |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=Electronics Weekly |language=en}}