Lumenet

Lumenet is a term used in speculative technology and science fiction to describe an integrated network that combines lighting and data communication through optical media. The name blends lumen, a unit of light, with net, indicating a distributed network. In most uses, lumenet denotes a city-scale infrastructure in which lighting fixtures, coated surfaces, and embedded luminescent materials function as both illumination sources and data channels.

Conceptually, a lumenet network employs light-based communication, such as LiFi or modulated LEDs, to transmit data between densely deployed nodes. Each node provides ambient lighting while hosting transceivers, microprocessors, and edge-computing resources. The network can form a mesh with dynamic routing, leveraging optical channels in indoor and outdoor environments. Security and privacy are addressed by directional light, narrow beams, and encrypted modulation schemes.

Historically, lumenet appears in speculative literature and concept papers exploring future smart cities. It is not a widely implemented technology and there is no formal standard known as lumenet. Real-world precedents include LiFi and optical wireless communication, which share fundamental principles but lack the city-scale integration often depicted in lumenet scenarios.

Potential applications imagined for lumenet include high-speed data backhaul for urban environments, adaptive lighting that matches occupancy and daylight, and interactive signage that also communicates data. Critics cite practical challenges such as infrastructural cost, line-of-sight requirements, and spectral management. As a fictional or speculative concept, lumenet serves as a framework for discussing the convergence of illumination and communication in urban design.