The impact of antenna design and frequency on underwater wireless communications

Increased earth exploration has motivated the development of new underwater communication systems. There are vast applications for underwater communications including Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). Both optical and acoustic systems have been used for underwater communications, but they often fail to meet current needs. The attenuation due to the conductivity of seawater limits the effectiveness of electromagnetic underwater systems. Transmission frequencies and the antenna design are examined in this paper with the goal of improving underwater communications.