ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the application of visible light communications (VLC) as a supplemental medium within next generation wireless networks. It focuses on VLC in the context of small cells, HetNet integration, and software-defined systems. The chapter presents a motivation for continuation of the small cell evolution and discusses how the directionality of VLC is an ideal medium for network densification beyond radio frequency small cells (RFSCs). It also describes the requirements for coexistence of RF and VLC within mixed media environments, and defines a software-defined VLC (SDVLC) implementation of an RF/VLC HetNet. Smaller cells allow for increased spatial reuse, leading to higher bandwidth density and area spectral efficiency. This has been a common trend throughout the history of wireless communications, most recently with traffic offloading to RFSCs such as femtocells or wireless local area networks (WLANs). The envisioned RF/VLC HetNet consists of central RF AP, one or more VLC APs, various mobile terminals (MTs), router, and gateway to external networks.
