Visible light communications market seen topping $30.7B by 2030

By AI, Created 9:59 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – The Business Research Company says the visible light communications market will jump from $5.26 billion in 2025 to $7.48 billion in 2026, then surge to $30.78 billion by 2030. The report points to rising demand for high-speed data transmission, RF congestion relief, and growing use in smart infrastructure, transportation, defense and healthcare.

Why it matters: - Visible light communications is gaining traction as a wireless alternative that can move data through LED lighting while easing pressure on crowded radio frequency networks. - The technology’s growth reflects rising demand for faster, more secure links in indoor networking, smart infrastructure, and other environments where RF performance is limited. - The market’s projected scale suggests VLC could move from a niche technology into a broader communications layer across commercial and industrial settings.

What happened: - The Business Research Company released a report on the visible light communications market on April 28, 2026. - The report estimates the market will rise from $5.26 billion in 2025 to $7.48 billion in 2026. - The report projects the market will reach $30.78 billion by 2030. - The report uses a 42.2% CAGR for the 2025-2026 period and a 42.4% CAGR through 2030. - North America held the largest market share in 2025. - Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region during the forecast period. - The report covers Asia-Pacific, Southeast Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East and Africa. - Download a free sample of the report. - View the full market report.

The details: - Visible light communication transmits data through visible light, typically from LED sources, by modulating light intensity in ways the human eye cannot detect. - The technology is designed to deliver fast and secure data transfer while also providing lighting. - The report cites rising use of LED lighting for data transmission as a major growth driver. - The report also points to growing demand for indoor wireless networking as a driver. - RF congestion is pushing interest in VLC as an alternative communication method. - Industrial adoption of optical communication technologies is supporting demand. - Consumer electronics deployments are adding to market growth. - The report says the need for high-speed data transmission is a major force behind the market’s expansion. - Demand is rising from connected devices and data-heavy applications such as video streaming, cloud computing and IoT services. - The report identifies 5G expansion as another growth factor. - 5G Americas reported in March 2025 that global 5G connections reached 2.25 billion in 2024.

Between the lines: - The report’s forecast points to VLC becoming more relevant where wireless capacity, security and interference resistance matter more than legacy network convenience. - Strong growth assumptions suggest the market is still early, with adoption likely tied to smart city rollouts, connected devices and specialized enterprise use cases. - The emphasis on low-power and energy-efficient transmitters signals that product design, not just network demand, will shape uptake. - The mix of transportation, defense, healthcare and smart infrastructure applications suggests VLC is being positioned as a cross-industry platform rather than a single-use lighting add-on.

What’s next: - The report expects broader adoption of VLC in transportation systems. - Integration with IoT-enabled smart infrastructure is likely to deepen. - Demand for secure optical communication in defense and healthcare is expected to grow. - Smart city projects should create more deployment opportunities. - The report anticipates more bi-directional VLC systems, smarter lighting deployments, indoor positioning tools and secure optical data links. - Energy-efficient VLC transmitters are likely to remain a focus as vendors try to balance speed, security and power use.

The bottom line: - VLC is moving from an emerging concept to a fast-growing communications market, with the strongest near-term demand tied to high-speed data, secure links and smart infrastructure.