The University of Plymouth is leading a £1.2million project to upgrade the offshore infrastructure of Smart Sound Plymouth.
The initiative, supported by funding from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, will further enhance the unique proving ground for businesses to test, trial, prototype and commercialise new products and services.
The Smart Sound Connect Subsurface project builds on the Smart Sound Connect infrastructure launched in March 2022.
Working with Plymouth Marine Laboratory, it will install an underwater acoustic communications network that will be integrated with the existing private 4G/5G and wave relay mesh networks that provide connectivity more than 20 nautical miles offshore.
Combined, this upgraded network will reinforce Smart Sound Plymouth as a unique fully connected proving ground for businesses to develop advanced marine technologies across all domains; above, on and below the water.
In addition, the Smart Sound Connect Subsurface project will be enhanced by new specialist lab facilities at City College Plymouth’s Centre for Higher Technical and Maritime Skills at Oceansgate.