Hybrid NFC-VLC Systems: Integration Strategies, Applications, and Future Directions

The hybridization of Near-Field Communication (NFC) with Visible Light Communication (VLC) presents a promising framework for robust, secure, and efficient wireless transmission. By combining proximity-based authentication of NFC with high-speed and interference-resistant data transfer of VLC, this approach mitigates the inherent limitations of each technology, such as the restricted range of NFC and authentication challenges of VLC. The resulting hybrid system leverages NFC for secure handshaking and VLC for high-throughput communication, enabling scalable, real-time applications across diverse domains. This study examines integration strategies, technical enablers, and potential use cases, including smart street poles for secure citizen engagement, patient authentication and record access systems in healthcare, personalized retail advertising, and automated attendance tracking in education. Additionally, this paper addresses key challenges in hybridization and explores future research directions, such as the integration of Artificial Intelligence and 6G networks.