Facebook developing high-speed laser-based Wi-Fi

PC World : Although wireless networks provide internet connectivity without the need to run physical cables, the systems can be slow, and they rely on available radio spectra. To overcome those problems, researchers at Facebook have been working on a system that uses lasers to transmit data. Because laser beams dissipate as they travel, however, a very large detector is required to collect the signal. Facebook has developed a cheap, large detector through the use of plastic optical fibers doped with organic dye molecules. Its 126 cm² detector is thousands of times larger than earlier designs. Facebook’s prototype device has achieved 2.1 Gbps, and the company hopes to speed it up even more by switching to UV light. Such a system could be used to transmit high-definition video to mobile devices and provide low-cost communications in remote areas.