An Edinburgh-based technology company has announced a new $4.2m deal to supply the US Army with optical wireless communications systems.
PureLiFi will be providing its Kitefin devices, which use mobile wireless 'LiFi' for secure data transmission without radio frequencies.
The technology will be used by the United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF).
The company said LiFi can transmit more reliable wireless communications with great security compared to Cellular, WiFi and bluetooth, by harnessing the light spectrum to transfer data.
The deal with USAREUR-AF represents the first large-scale deployment of the technology. It will consist of thousands of field-deployable LiFi units in real tactical and strategic environments.
An initial pilot of PureLiFi’s technology with USAREUR-AF took place in 2019, convincing key stakeholders that LiFi could play a role in the future of defence communications, which resulted in the largest ever purchase of LiFi.
Andrew Foreman, chief technology officer at USAREUR-AF, said: “Including optical wireless in the commander’s toolbox is imperative to the survival of communications, command and control systems and, more importantly, soldiers.
"Leadership within the Department of Defense are at a major transitional crossroads for communications and mission command systems and must make a critical decision.”
The deal comes on the back of PureLiFi’s recent £18m Series B investment to take the tech mainstream.
Alistair Banham, chief executive at PureLiFi, said: “This largest real-world deployment of LiFi with the US Army Europe and Africa is a testament to the benefits that LiFi can offer and the technology’s usability.
"If one of the most significant and advanced defence organisations in the world can rely on LiFi for the most critical of communications, LiFi can offer unprecedented benefits to the consumer.”
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