Edinburgh-based PureLiFi announced a new trial of its LiFi technology at Kyle Academy in Ayr, Scotland, the first school in the world to deploy a LiFi network. The technology allows large volumes of data to be transmitted using LED lights instead of radio waves, offering significantly enhanced bandwidth. PureLiFi said the Kyle Academy pilot involved 8 LiFi-enabled LED ceiling bulbs that connect with USB devices plugged into the pupils’ laptops, facilitating the use of high-bandwidth learning materials such as videos and e-books.

The project is being conducted together with Edinburgh University, overseen by the Scottish Futures Trust and supported by the Scottish government with a GBP 16,000 grant from its Digital Schools initiative for equipment and installation. PureLiFi and the LiFi Research and Development Centre at Edinburgh University are providing resources for the pilot with hands-on support and subsequent testing.

PureLiFi is also conducting trials of LiFi technology in conjunction with O2 UK as part of a series of network tests ahead of the launch of the operator’s 5G network.