News

Chinese scientists recently used a data encoding method open to the public by communications equipment giant Huawei to successfully receive signals sent 30 kilometers away in an underwater communications test, surpassing NATO’s current longest underwater communication distance of 8 kilometers.

According to a report by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Friday (August 23), the Chinese People’s Liberation Army recently cooperated with Xiamen University to conduct underwater data transmission tests at an undisclosed location in the South China Sea, where the water is 3,000 meters deep.

Scientists deployed a small hydrophone 1,000 meters underwater and successfully received signals from a ship 30 kilometers away at a frequency of 4,000 Hz to 8,000 Hz, with a transmission speed of 4,000 bits per second, setting a new record for the performance of underwater acoustic communication equipment in public reports.

The report said that the Chinese scientific team used the polarization weight (HPW) coding method in the experiment. This method was jointly developed by Chinese, French and Canadian scientists from Huawei and can transmit information with unprecedented efficiency and eliminate noise.

IT Home reported that this technology is currently widely used in 5G communications and consumer electronics. Scientists involved in the project described this encoding method as “accurate and stable” in an academic paper.

The South China Morning Post said this technology could support the large-scale application of underwater drones and could have profound impacts on future military and geopolitical struggles.