Two Gujarat villages first in India to get LiFi

In the first step towards creating smart villages in Gujarat, an Ahmedabad startup has powered up two villages with high-speed internet using LiFi-based technology. Akrund and Navanagar villages in Aravalli district of Gujarat have become India’s first smart villages with LiFi-based internet connectivity.

With this facility from the startup, Nav Wireless Technology, schools, hospitals, post offices, and government offices in these two villages will get faster and safer internet connection through existing electricity lines.

LiFi technology involves transmitting data with a light beam spectrum through open space in outdoor and indoor environments. LiFi systems provide ultra-fast data connections, and are especially useful in urban areas where radio spectra are congested, and are also handy in rural areas where fibre-optic cables or networks are not reachable.

The company has invested Rs 20 lakh for executing the project in these two villages. Hardik Soni, co-founder and CTO of Nav Wireless Technologies Pvt Limited, said: “We are proud to bring this technological revolution to our home state of Gujarat.” Soni added: “Nav Wireless has extended Gujarat Fibre Grid Network’s fibre internet connectivity from Akrund gram panchayat building to Navanagar primary school, which is at the distance of 1.5km, with LiFi wireless optical communication.”

Soni went on to say: “We had also implemented Hybrid Microwave LiFi-enabled LED lights in schools, hospitals and in post office rooms over the existing power lines of the buildings.”

The startup has collaborated with BharatNet for implementing similar technology in about 6,000 more villages of Gujarat. This will be achieved by the end of the calendar year 2022. Funds worth Rs 500 crore will be allocated for the project.

The startup also plans to provide fast internet connectivity in remote areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand where conventional technologies are not functional.