Haas claims that data can be sent by adding a microchip to any humble LED bulb, making it blink on and off at a phenomenal speed, millions of times per second.

It’s this capability that allows LEDs to transmit data in a rapid stream of binary code that, although invisible to the naked eye, can then be detected by a light-sensitive receiver.

“It’s a bit like sending a Morse code signal with a torch, but at a much faster rate and using the alphabet that computers understand,” explains Haas.

The implication is that wherever you have a light bulb — and there are an estimated 14 billion of them worldwide — you have the potential for a wireless Internet connection.