Nav Wireless deploys optical communication link across Auckland Harbour
Bengaluru: Indian deep-tech company Nav Wireless Technologies, in partnership with New Zealand and Australia regional partner 9Rayz, has deployed a Free-Space Optical Communication (FSOC) link across Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour, marking an international real-world application of India-developed optical wireless technology.
The deployment combines technology developed in India with regional implementation expertise from 9Rayz and research engagement with researchers at The University of Auckland. The installation provides an opportunity to study the performance of FSOC technology outside controlled laboratory environments.
FSOC enables high-capacity data transmission between two locations using highly directional beams of light travelling through the atmosphere, eliminating the need for a physical fibre connection between the points.
The technology could be particularly useful in locations where conventional fibre infrastructure is difficult, expensive or time-consuming to install. Potential applications include waterways, remote areas, challenging terrain, temporary communication networks and infrastructure requiring additional connectivity resilience.
Hardik Soni, Co-Founder and CTO of Nav Wireless Technologies, said the Auckland deployment demonstrated the potential of Indian engineering and scientific capabilities in international environments.
“India has strong engineering and scientific capabilities, and our objective is to translate that strength into globally relevant intellectual property, products and communication technologies. Our approach is to innovate in India, collaborate globally and create technologies that can address connectivity challenges across markets,” Soni said.
Nav Wireless is developing FSOC, LiFi/VLC and other photonic communication technologies in India, with potential applications across telecommunications, enterprise connectivity, remote networks, defence and specialised communication requirements.
Falgun Patel, Director of 9Rayz, said the initiative brought together technology development, research and practical deployment.
“What makes this initiative important is the combination of technology, research and practical deployment,” Patel said. “Free-Space Optical Communication can become an important complementary technology in locations where extending conventional fibre is difficult.”
The Waitematā Harbour deployment is also supporting research into free-space optical communications at The University of Auckland. Dr Nicholas Rattenbury, who leads research efforts in the field, said collaboration between commercial technology developers and academic researchers was important for advancing both the theory and practical applications of FSOC.
The real-world installation will allow researchers to examine optical communication systems under conditions beyond laboratory environments. It also facilitates knowledge exchange between researchers, technology developers and regional implementation partners.
For Nav Wireless, the Auckland project represents an effort to take Indian-developed deep-tech solutions into international markets and diverse operating environments. The company said the initiative demonstrates a model in which technologies can be developed in India, tested internationally and refined through collaboraton with global research and industry partners.
The deployment could also help assess the role of optical wireless communication as a complementary technology alongside conventional fibre networks, particularly in locations where physical connectivity infrastructure presents logistical challenges.