A breakthrough in speed and distance by red laser based data transmission has been made by a research team headed by electro-optical engineering professor Lu Hai-han at the National Taipei University of Technology in Taiwan. The development was announced by the ROC Ministry of Science and Technology on April 16^th.

The team’s high speed visible light data transmission system uses red lasers to increase the speed, far surpassing that of white LEDs. Data is able to be transmitted at a rate of 10 gigabits per second (Gps), 10 times faster than white LEDs at 4 Gps, and at a distance of 17.5 meters.

Visible light communication systems can limit the amount of electromagnetic interference, said Lu. This makes it ideal for use in gas stations, oil refineries, hospital operating rooms, airplane cockpits, and more. The team hopes to develop a commercial version of the systems by next year, according to Taiwan Times.

The next step in development for Lu’s team is to boost transmission speeds up to 400 Gps.