Underwater Communication
Discover cutting-edge solutions from 5 leading global suppliersKyocera Corporation has successfully demonstrated Underwater Wireless Optical Communication (UWOC) technology that achieved a short-range data transmission rate of 5.2Gbps.
This speed is said to be among the fastest fiberless UWOC technologies ever demonstrated, potentially enabling real-time, large-volume data transmission crucial for ocean exploration and underwater robot operations. The development could provide immediate access to high-resolution images, video feeds, and sensor data, supporting more efficient underwater research and control of robots.
Current acoustic communications used by Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and drones for marine surveys, inspections, and resource exploration are often capped at just a few Mbps. This slow speed restricts the instantaneous sharing of high-resolution video and large datasets.
Determined to overcome these limits, Kyocera pursued specialized UWOC research and achieved the 5.2Gbps transmission rate in a freshwater laboratory setting.
UWOC Technology Features
The ultra high-speed UWOC technology uses a proprietary PHY (Physical) layer that converts digital data into laser light for transmission. Unlike standard specifications based on wired or general wireless standards, Kyocera’s custom-designed communication framework delivers the stability and capacity needed for reliable, large-scale underwater data transfer in demanding conditions.
Kyocera also successfully expanded the underwater bandwidth to 1 GHz by applying its original communication specifications. The company developed an optical front-end circuit that fully leverages the bandwidth characteristics of optical semiconductor components.
This advancement enables the transmission of significantly more information in the same timeframe, which is approximately 2.5 times the data transfer speed of conventional underwater optical communications. This makes activities such as live underwater video streaming, sensor data transfer, and collaborative inspections much faster and more reliable.
Future developments will focus on increasing communication distance and capacity to accelerate technological innovation in the marine industry and academic research, as well as contribute to the development of next-generation marine ICT infrastructure.
The technology has potential uses across various fields, including real-time sharing of high-definition video from AUVs, high-precision inspection of underwater structures, immediate acquisition of large-volume data in ocean research, and simultaneous data collection from multiple underwater sensors. Users will benefit from rapid, uninterrupted data transmission, enabling underwater tasks to be more efficient and responsive.
This UWOC technology will be featured at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, United States, from January 6-9, 2026, in the Vehicle Tech & Advanced Mobility Zone, West Hall, Booth #6501.
