Kyocera develops wireless underwater communications tech that uses lasers to hit 5.2 Gbps — optical approach advances underwater drone comms, boasts blistering speeds at short distances

Kyocera has developed underwater optical communications technology that enables high-speed wireless communication at speeds up to 5.2 Gbps in freshwater settings, significantly faster than traditional underwater acoustic systems. This advancement is crucial for underwater drone technologies, allowing for data streaming of high-resolution photos, live video feeds, and sensor data. While limited to short distances of around 100 meters due to water's impact on laser range and line-of-sight requirements, the technology offers high speed, bandwidth, and low latency, making it suitable for specific applications like controlling underwater drones and monitoring undersea infrastructure. Additionally, it could have military applications for communicating with underwater drones launched from submarines or larger vessels.