A Systematic Review of Using Visible Light Communication as an IoT Network System in a Smart Home Environment

Abstract

The expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) within smart home environments creates challenges for traditional Radio Frequency (RF) networks which experience spectrum shortages and unstable connections and increased security threats. The study conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) to assess how organizations implement Visible Light Communication (VLC) as a secure and high-performance solution for their IoT network systems. The study combines quantitative performance data with qualitative thematic patterns to evaluate VLC's indoor performance based on analysis of peer-reviewed research obtained from 2021 through 2026. Research results show that system throughput increases significantly because commercial LEDs transmit data at 1 to 3 kilobits per second while experimental laser diode modules achieved record data transmission speeds of 51.05 gigabits per second over a distance of 100 meters. The system demonstrated lower latency through VLC which achieved an 8.2 millisecond delay time that surpassed the performance of comparable radio frequency systems. The synthesis process found that the physical layer security of the system derives from light which creates an energy-efficient "green" network through its dual-purpose ability to provide illumination and the system prevents spectrum exhaustion. The study identifies ongoing restrictions which include the need for direct line-of-sight (LoS) connectivity and the system's susceptibility to human movement and external light interference. The review concludes that VLC has developed into an effective technology which needs to solve the "dynamic mobility gap" problem and create common industry standards through IEEE 802.11bb to achieve widespread commercial use. Future research should shift from static laboratory simulations toward large-scale field testing in complex, real-world smart home environments.