Underwater wireless communication is intended to share information effectively among connected sensors, underwater vehicles, computing devices, surface stations, robotic equipment, etc. It helps to monitor real-world underwater assets, micro-organisms, human activities, sudden disasters, etc. 

This article provides you both the current and future scope of underwater wireless communication!!!

Further, underwater wireless communication is also technically strong in resource sharing, system integration, and protocol optimization which are baseline factors for effective underwater communication. Below, we have given you the important requirements of underwater wireless communication. 

Need of Underwater Wireless Communication

• For avoiding huge cost of wired network deployment
• For conducting experiments over extensive-distance
• For performing temporary trials over communication

Now, we can see about the system architecture of the underwater wireless communication in 3 major terminologies as an acoustic link, local sink, and virtual sink. These terms are used throughout the underwater wireless communication research field. So, scholars need to know the fundamentals of underwater wireless communication systems. By the by, we are proud to say that our resource team has the strong groundwork in the basics of underwater wireless communication to develop future technological advancements. 

Architecture of Underwater Wireless Communication

• Acoustic link
  • Network link among 2 nodes for the purpose of communication
  • Also, it is called as acoustic communication channel
• Local sink
  • Act as interface to external world
  • Instigate the processes of sensor network for management and restoration
• Virtual sink
  • Integrate all available local sink nodes via multi-hops
  • This connected sinks collectively represent a virtual network

In addition to underwater wireless communication architecture, we have given the core functionalities of underwater wireless communication since it is also part of underwater wireless communication fundamentals. In any underwater wireless communication application and service, you can find the functions as the essentials. The researches may vary by means of how efficiently you perform the following functions in underwater wireless communication systems. Our experts will suggest all enhanced solutions based on your wireless project needs.

Important Functions of Underwater Wireless Communication

• Network Links Management
  • Provide assurance of continuous network links even in environmental attacks or node failure
• Underwater Network Management
  • Function with all network related process for effective management
  • For instance: Achieve high network connectivity, security, channel quality, etc.
• Node Localization
  • Detect the locality of the deployed network devices
• Function Monitoring
  • Monitoring the resource handling, data transmission, resource allocation and other network operations
  • Identify the network related issues and solve them in an simplified way
• Resource Management
  • Control the resource wastage and increase the resource conservation
  • For instance: memory, power, battery lifespan, etc.
• Others Functions
  • Performance assessment, traffic control, security, dynamic traffic monitoring, etc.,

So far, we have discussed the needs, architecture, and primary functions of underwater wireless communication. We hope, you have fine-tuned your fundamental knowledge of underwater wireless communication from the above sections. Now, we can see the research issues faced by UWC while practically implementing the theoretical concepts. In order to gather up-to-date research shortcomings, our technical professionals have to dive into in-depth reviews on underwater wireless communication journal papers and magazines. From that research ocean, we have collected pearls of creative research ideas based on top-demand research issues to craft wireless security research topics. Here, we have given a few of them for your awareness.

Research Challenges of Underwater Wireless Communication

• Trust and Integrity in Data Transmission 
• Fault tolerance, Flexibility and Security
• Improvisation of Multiple Access Technique in underwater wireless communication
• Secure PHY and MAC layers in Acoustic Communication
• Traffic Congestion Monitoring and Management
• Advance Time Synchronization Method for Data Transmission
• Adaptive Routing Technique for Multi-hop Communication
• Efficient Node Localization in Distributed Environment

Next, we can see the influential elements of Critical Factors that Influence Underwater Wireless Communication for affecting system performance. More than underground wireless communication, underwater wireless communication systems have several performances influencing factors. All these factors have the intention to degrade the functionalities/efficiencies of communication. And, some of them are discussed below for your reference.

Critical Factors that Influence Underwater Wireless Communication

• Connectivity
  • Large Latency
  • Incorporative Transmission
  • High Re-Connectivity
  • Non-directional Antenna
• Underwater Currents and Temperature Variability
  • Network Environment Noise
  • Current Speed / Network Flow Variation
  • Instability of Temperature
• Clustering
  • No Optimization of Cross Layer
  • Short Network Lifespan
  • High Retransmission
  • Inefficient Clustering
• Multipath Latency Spread and Fading
  • Signal Falsification
  • Inter-symbol Interference
  • Mismatched Time in Multipath Signal Delivery
  • Weak Multipath Signal Strength (Rayleigh Fading)
• Coverage
  • Lack of Robustness
  • High Energy Consumption
  • Horizontal Coverage
  • Unrealistic Sensing
• Ambient Noise, Salinity and Pressure
  • Underwater Noise (organisms, marine movement, etc.)
  • Large Salt Content of Water
  • Enlarged Pressure

Latest Technologies of Underwater Wireless Communication

Our research team is not only great at handpicking research problems but also proficient in framing optimal problem-solving solutions. Since we are well-experienced in working with complex mathematical problems and numerical analysis. As a result, we are skillful in designing our own protocols / pseudo-code / algorithms. 

Further, we are also currently dealing with hybrid technologies to ensure your research work with the Future scope of underwater wireless communication. Below, we have itemized few globally preferred techniques of underwater wireless communication projects. Additionally, we also support you in Underwater Mobile Ad-hoc networks (UMANet), Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs), Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) Design, etc.

• Adaptive Massive MIMO
  • Support large-scale network via numerous hydrophones arrays
  • Enable to broadcast multimedia data (image, audio, video, signal)
  • For instance: Live video streaming, audio-visual conferencing
  • Guaranteed to accomplish high network capacity, throughput and energy efficiency
• mmWaves 
  • Popular for large network capacity feature
  • Close to optical wireless signals characteristics
  • So, includes properties of high efficiency and bandwidth
  • Support data rates about <10 Gbps for hybrid communication
• Energy Harvesting
  • Convert the unused energy into useful electric power
  • Improve energy harvesting by wireless low-power communication
  • Node batteries are getting charge by itself from remote location via electromagnetic emission
  • Efficient performance in short distance rather than long-distance application
• Internet of Underwater Things (IoUTs)
  • In general IoT, it connects the sensors without wire for environmental sensing and data sharing from remote location
  • Internet of Underwater Things (IoUTs) performs the same process in underwater environment
  • Through this, one can monitor marine organisms’ life, realize underwater territories, underwater environment changes, etc.
  • Sense the underwater data transmit to the nearer AUVs or surface base stations for human access
• Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA)
  • Provide favorable multi-access technique with other rewards of communication
  • Concurrently link with multiple users in low latency
  • Future NOMA is expected to stop wasteful resources generation in future by following
    • Equal Transmission Times (ETT) power distribution
    • Allocation techniques in Underwater Acoustic Networks Architecture (UWASNs)

Integration of 5G in Underwater Communication

As a matter of fact, the future scope of underwater wireless communication in a 5G network mainly focuses on two significant parameters as tremendously high data rate and low delay. Further, it incorporates two advanced technologies as GFDM and FBMC, especially for underwater applications. Here, the GFDM technique is derived from the FBMC technique in terms of frequency and time parameters.

• Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing (GFDM)
• Filter bank multicarrier (FBMC)

Besides, here we also included the limitation of integrating the 5G network in underwater communication. Although it has some limitations, it vastly growing in the direction of future technologies. Our team also performed countless research on the following areas and designed more useful optimal solutions, 

Core Research Challenges in Underwater Wireless Communication

• Large Industrial Needs
• Mobility Management
• Improvement of Uplink performance
• mmWave Coverage

Future Directions of 5G in Underwater Wireless Communication

In the above, we have seen the future scope of Underwater Wireless Communication (i.e., 5G technology). Here, we are going to see about the future directions of 5G on holding hands with Underwater Wireless Communication. Therefore, you can get an idea about the beyond 5G and 6G technologies in underwater environments. Let’s see the future research direction of 5G in Underwater Wireless Communication

• To accomplish network parameters of ultra-low connectivity delay, ultra-speed, ultra-large capacity, etc.
• To provide very cheap and low energy communications
• To enlarge communication areas in space, sea and sky
• To introduce new spectrum with terahertz (THz) frequencies
• To improve abilities for large-scale network sensing
• To achieve extreme trust and integrity assured data transmission

Overall, we have debated on all the future research perspectives of underwater wireless communication. All these are expected to meet the requirements of QoS and QoE in a widespread environment. Then, we have discussed the responsibilities of the 5G network in Underwater Wireless Communication with its future directions. 

In specific, 5G supports all RF, electromagnetic waves, optic signals, and acoustic signals for advanced UWC systems. To the great extent, the 6G networks are combined with Space-Air-Ground-Sea Integrated Networks (SAGSIN) to attain universal coverage. Last but not least, we have enumerated the next generation expectation of underwater sensor networks. 

Future Scope of Underwater Sensor Networks

• Learning of Underwater Environment Variations
• Performance Assessment in UWC systems
• Designing Adaptive Protocols for UWSNs
• Efficient Mobile Node Localization in Underwater
• Impact of Delay in Synchronization for Critical Systems
• Improving Underwater Network Scalability and Measurement
• Enhanced Mechanism for Access control and Authorization in UWSNs
• Prediction of Low-power Sensor Mobility
• Replenishing and Depth Control in Mechanical Systems
• Dynamic Varying Network Structure Management
• Reduction of Electronic System Transmission Power

To the end, we are pleased to inform you that we support you in both present and upcoming technologies of Underwater Wireless Communication. Hence, we are ready to develop any kinds of applications in your desired areas to fulfill your requirements. So, make your research dream into true by holding our expert’s guidance. Reach our Expert Panel Team to know more about future scope of underwater wireless communication projects.