Ever since submarines and diving equipment were invented, underwater communications have been a problem. Hand movements and other visual signals have a limited range, and conventional radio waves do not propagate through water. So most marine communications use sound-based acoustic systems, which have serious limitations.

Scottish engineers believe radio may provide a solution after all. Wireless Fibre Systems, a technology company based in Livingston, has discovered how to transmit radio signals through water for several hundred metres. It is embarking on a £1.1m project, half funded by the UK government, to develop the technology with two other Scottish companies.