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A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between WSense and Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) combined their respective submarine networking capabilities to build an underwater monitoring and communications system
This week, a new partnership between submarine networking giant ASN and subsea monitoring specialist WSense will see the creation of a next generation wireless communication system beneath the waves.
The agreement will see the partners explore the possibility of incorporating WSense’s patented aquatic wireless technology alongside ASN’s considerable submarine cable assets, aiming to build an underwater wireless network capable of facilitating real-time remote monitoring (noise, quality of water, seismic activity, etc).
These sensors will also play a crucial role in disaster prediction and early detection, as well as aiding in surveillance and naval operations for coastal securities.
“This collaboration with ASN allows us to take a giant leap forward in the field of underwater subsea networks allowing us to develop an “underwater Wi-Fi” coverage connected to the internet backbone. We are excited to combine our innovative technologies to create something truly groundbreaking,” said Chiara Petrioli, CEO of WSense.
WSense, which came to life as a spin off from Rome’s Sapienza University in 2012, is a pioneer in the field of underwater wireless communications, with a far-reaching product portfolio focussed on the Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT).
The nascent field of IoUT is centred around creating networks of connected underwater devices and sensors, able to monitor everything from water quality and temperature to the positioning of submarine and surface-level vessels.
But while the concept of the IoUT has been around for over a decade, connecting all of these devices wirelessly remains a major challenge. Water is a poor medium for the propagation of electromagnetic radiation, with signals being strongly attenuated over even short distances. This is one of the main reasons why subsea communications have traditionally focussed so heavily on acoustic transmission, most famously in the form of sonar (sound navigation and ranging).
But acoustic communications are far from perfect. Beyond the potential harm the technology deals to sound-sensitive aquatic wildlife, it also has a latency far greater than its terrestrial wireless counterparts, making it ill-suited to the real-time needs of typical IoT sensors.
In recent years, however, major strides in subsea wireless technology are being made by companies like WSense, who blend acoustic and wireless optical capabilities to build what has been described as ‘underwater Wi-Fi’.
According to WSense, their solutions reportedly emits only 1/100th of the acoustic power used by typical monitoring devices deployed by surface vessels.
WSense has gained traction over the past year, raising €11 million in Series A funding through various sources. The company also recently signed a partnership with Italian submarine-builder Fincantieri, aiming to cooperate on adaptive aquatic communications and, in particular, the tracking of unmanned surface and underwater vessels.
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