Radio Wave Propagation in Underwater Environments: Challenges and Emerging Solutions

Abstract

Underwater communication plays an important role in various activities such as offshore exploration, defence operations, and even monitoring the environment. Historically, sound and optical methods have been dominantly used, but we argue that radio waves present the best possible range and latency. Unfortunately, seawater’s high permittivity and conductivity present considerable difficulties for radio wave transmission. This paper analyzes the primary challenges associated with the propagation of radio waves through water such as attenuation, range, and interference. Moreover, it discusses recent technological innovations and new approaches like ultra-low frequency transmission, metamaterial antennas, and hybrid communication systems. The main focus of this paper is to pinpoint the gaps in existing research and technology that need to be addressed to optimize scalability, efficiency, and reliability of radio communication networks submerged in water