A tipping point for undersea networks

For a long time cable-free undersea communication devices have provided a very modest communication capability. Relying on acoustic signals transmitted through a lossy channel with complex propagation characteristics they have provided unreliable connections and very low data rates. Because of the harsh environment, undersea modems have been very expensive, which in turn has limited their deployment and the resources available for development and production. We are now at a tipping point where the technology is available to produce systems that are orders of magnitude more useful to users than previous products. In this paper we outline the key developments in undersea modems from the user perspective.