The 2016 edition of the UComms conference follows on from the previous two meetings held in 2012 and 2014. The conference series is focussed on working towards an adequate physics-based understanding of the propagation of communication signals underwater and the performance of necessary higher-level protocols with the objective of supporting the intelligent choice of standards, as a foundation for interoperability.

The conference is open to scientists and engineers involved in research, coding, protocols and performance estimation, manufacturing and those involved in the use and regulation of underwater communication systems, with the intention to be as inclusive as possible for all stakeholders in underwater communications networking. This is an important feature for a meeting intended to catalyse global consensus.

The conference topics cover a wide range of interests from physical understanding of the communication channel through to heuristic models of network performance, embracing acoustic and non-acoustic physical modalities. Some of the central topics are:

- Channel physics and Ocean dynamics
- Fading statistics in space, time, and frequency
- Modelling, simulation, emulation & playback of communications channels
- Fixed and mobile communications and networks
- Applications using underwater communications and their requirements
- Interoperability and standards
- Non-Acoustic communications
- Adaptive/smart modems
- Modem architecture and Software Defined Modems
- At-sea communication testbeds
- Network models, simulation and validation
- Security of underwater communications
- Vector sensors, MIMO, TRM etc.

Short papers of no more than 4 pages plus references are invited for rigorous peer review by an international technical committee. Accepted and presented papers will be made available in the conference proceedings and submitted to IEEE XPlore. Authors can opt out of publishing their papers in the proceedings / IEEE Xplore in case their work is covered by commercial (or other) sensitivities. They would still benefit from the discussion during the conference. Papers may also be expanded into a full paper for submission to the IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering for publication in a Special Collection after the event. The conference will have structured sessions (single track) organised by leaders of the field that will help maintaining the technical level of the conference at a high standard.