Optical wireless communications for cyber-secure ubiquitous wireless networks

Wireless connectivity is no longer limited to facilitating communications between individuals, but is also required to support diverse and heterogeneous applications, services and infrastructures. Internet of things (IoT) systems will dominate future technologies, allowing any and all devices to create, share and process data. If artificial intelligence resembles the brain of IoT, then high-speed connectivity forms the nervous system that connects the devices. For IoT to safely operate autonomously, it requires highly secure and reliable wireless links. In this article, we shed light on the potential of optical wireless communications to provide high-speed secure and reliable ubiquitous access as an enabler for fifth generation and beyond wireless networks.