Underwater E-Mail Cababilities

Last month, the U.S. Navy utilized a new technology created by Massachusetts-based Benthos Inc., to communicate with a naval base in San Diego through e-mail. The USS Dolphin was able to transmit e-mails up to a distance of three miles to a relayer buoy. The buoy then translates the data, and transfers it to land.

This marks the first time a submerged vessel was able to communicate without allowing its position to be obtained. The submarine's modem sends data underwater using sound energy.

Although the e-mails were sent at a rate of 2,400 bytes per second, according to Benthos president John L. Coughlin, "When you're using sound waves to do it, that's pretty fast."

The technology was developed using a grant from the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Center.

To find out more information on this new technology, visit Benthos.com