Developments in subsea wireless communications

Over the last decade, the use of subsea wireless communications to transfer data and to control remote subsea assets has become a mainstream activity. Users employ such technology in countless applications ranging from long term measurement of oceanographic phenomena to the real time monitoring of positions and movement of subsea structures. Often the sensors required to make these measurements are located several miles from the nearest extraction point with no cables through which to transmit the data. There is therefore a particular interest in underwater networking techniques which help to overcome range limitations and provide a convenient means of hopping data through a network and onwards to a surface receiver. For over 40 years, Sonardyne International has researched and pioneered the use of acoustic communications for projects where the cost or flexibility limitations of marine cables precluded their use. This paper explores the possibilities of wireless communications and networking by reviewing some recent examples. Technology rarely stands still and we are faced with a new chapter in the story with the advent of optical communications that provides huge bandwidth improvements over acoustics. Some recent deployments of this technology and the diversity of uses it unlocks will also be presented.