RF Safe
The endgame

The Clean Ether Act: put indoor data on light

Most of our wireless data, and most of our exposure, happens indoors. RF Safe's Clean Ether vision is simple: make every device Li-Fi compatible now, then move indoor data off microwaves and onto light.12

The Li-Fi askHow Li-Fi worksRead the model bill
1

The problem: indoor RF burden

Wi-Fi routers and devices transmit around the clock in the rooms where children learn and sleep. RF Safe argues the 1996-era rules were never built for that kind of chronic, around-the-clock exposure.34

2

The near-term ask: Li-Fi compatibility

Build optical wireless into phones, laptops, tablets and routers using IEEE 802.11bb, the light-communications standard published in 2023, and give Li-Fi-enabled lighting and devices incentives and procurement preference.25

3

The endgame: indoor data on light

Radio stays where mobility is essential. Indoors, fiber feeds the building, wire feeds the room and light carries the last few meters. "The only stable endgame is to move the indoor burden off microwaves and onto light."67

Why a "Clean Ether" Act

RF Safe models the idea on the Clean Air Act of 1970. Unleaded fuel and catalytic converters didn't end driving; they drove innovation and cleaner air. The Clean Ether Act asks for the same kind of shift for the electromagnetic environment indoors.12

As RF Safe first described it in April 2025, the framework would encourage light-based communication like Li-Fi, set stricter limits on microwave communications near homes and schools, give communities back a say in where wireless infrastructure goes, and keep research and standards current.1

The ask

Li-Fi compatibility in every device

  • Optical wireless (IEEE 802.11bb) built into phones, laptops, tablets and routers.
  • Li-Fi pilots in schools and public buildings, with wired Ethernet as the backbone.
  • Incentives and procurement preferences for Li-Fi-enabled lighting and devices.
  • Parents and consumers asking for Li-Fi-enabled routers, lighting and devices.

Sources: 2, 5.

Where it stands

The Clean Ether Act is an RF Safe proposal. RF Safe has published a model bill (the "Clean Aether Act of 2026") whose sponsor and bill number are left blank. It has not been introduced in Congress. Read the full model bill text.8

This page is RF Safe's advocacy position, not a regulatory finding. Disclosure: RF Safe founder John Coates holds U.S. patent US11700058B2 (Far-UV Li-Fi).

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Questions and answers

What is the Clean Ether Act?

A proposed legislative framework from RF Safe, modeled on the Clean Air Act, to reduce indoor RF exposure: encourage light-based communication like Li-Fi, restore local say over wireless siting, and keep safety standards tied to current research.

What does Li-Fi compatibility mean?

Phones, laptops, tablets and routers that can also send and receive data over light, using the IEEE 802.11bb standard published in 2023, so a room's network can run on light instead of microwaves.

Does this mean giving up wireless?

No. RF Safe's position is radio where mobility is essential, outdoors and on the move, and light plus wired Ethernet for most indoor data.

Is the Clean Ether Act law?

No. It is an RF Safe proposal and model bill. It has not been introduced in Congress.

Sources

  1. John Coates (@rfsafe), "Introducing the Clean Ether Act: A Modern Solution for a Healthier Future", Apr. 24, 2025: x.com/rfsafe
  2. RF Safe, "The Clean Ether Act: Why the World Must Shift Indoor Wireless Data Transmission to Li-Fi", May 31, 2026: x.com/rfsafe
  3. RF Safe, "Space-Based Broadband Must Replace Microwave Towers Near Homes and Schools", Mar. 6, 2025: x.com/rfsafe
  4. RF Safe, "A Clean Ether Manifesto: 2025 Call to Action", Dec. 9, 2025: x.com/rfsafe
  5. RF Safe, "Clean Ether, Healthy Future: Why LiFi Must Replace Microwaves", June 13, 2025: x.com/rfsafe
  6. RF Safe, "Clean Ether + TruthCase: the light-first endgame", Nov. 29, 2025: x.com/rfsafe
  7. RF Safe, Li-Fi: rfsafe.app/lifi (from rfsafe.net/lifi) and Light Age vs. Microwave Age
  8. RF Safe, "Clean Aether Act of 2026" model statute: full text on rfsafe.app