Kyocera Corporation has achieved what it claims to be the world’s fastest short-range underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC), reaching speeds of 750 Mbps with no latency during offshore trials off Numazu City in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture.
The trials, using blue gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor lasers, mark a significant step toward gigabit-class underwater data transmission — a breakthrough the company says could transform marine research, smart aquaculture, and underwater drone operations.
The Japanese electronics group is targeting 1 Gbps speeds by 2027 as it pushes to commercialise UWOC systems capable of handling the large volumes of image and sensor data required for underwater Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
Conventional underwater communication relies on acoustic signals, which are slow and struggle with high-capacity data such as video. Radio waves, meanwhile, attenuate rapidly in water. Optical communication using light offers a faster alternative, though performance can be affected by turbidity, light interference, and power constraints.
Kyocera’s system uses blue GaN lasers to emit light that can transmit data at high speed with minimal distortion. The company said its prototype reached stable transfer rates of 750 Mbps over distances of up to 1.5 metres in saltwater, even under moderate turbidity and sunlight exposure.
The offshore tests, conducted between 19th and 21st August, included measurements of water temperature, turbidity, salinity, chlorophyll concentration, and ambient light to assess performance across varying conditions.
In laboratory conditions earlier this year, Kyocera achieved speeds of 1.8 Gbps in freshwater. The offshore trial was designed to demonstrate the system’s stability in real-world marine environments — a critical step toward integrating the technology into applications such as underwater drones, autonomous vehicles, and sensor networks.
Kyocera said it plans to expand pilot projects and pursue partnerships with marine industry players to test large-scale deployment and ensure compliance with environmental standards.
The results form part of a paper presented at the Robotics Society of Japan’s annual conference last month, outlining Kyocera’s roadmap toward practical UWOC systems.
If successful, the technology could enable real-time transmission of high-definition video and environmental data from underwater systems, potentially revolutionising monitoring and management of marine resources.
“By enabling gigabit-class underwater communication, we aim to open new possibilities for ocean exploration and sustainable marine industries,” the company said in a statement.
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